Second Chance
by Nastygrl25
Summary: A family tragedy forces Regina to come home from a business trip and tackle on new challenges. Devastated, Regina and Batista find comfort in one another. Could love lie ahead? Batista/OC, also features Randy Orton, Steph McMahon and others, circa 2003.
1. Chapter 1: Turbulent Homecoming

**Author's Note: I've finally put this story in motion. I've had this story in my head now for several months, and I've ratted my brains out trying to finish this chapter, but with work and pure procrastination, I kept putting it off. Thank you all for your patience. The story begins in March 2003, when the stable Evolution was beginning to take shape. Read, review and enjoy!**

**A/A/N: I only own the main character Regina Del Piero as well as her family members. I DO NOT own any of the WWE superstars. **

**

* * *

**

Chapter 1 – Turbulent Homecoming

"Excuse me, maam … _Maam?_"

The petite flight attendant had been making her rounds down the aisle, pushing her cart filled with assorted beverages, snacks, and reading materials when she stopped and patiently tried to get one of her young passengers' attention.

Staring at the cluster of cotton ball-like clouds from her window seat after what seemed like an eternity, Regina Del Piero suddenly turned to the left and looked up at the hazel-eyed lady staring at her.

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess I just spaced out for a moment," she said apologetically. "What did you say again?"

With her right hand gripping the handle of the cart and her left arm resting on the headrest in front of Regina's seat, the flight attendant leaned over a bit and smiled. "That's OK. I was going to ask you if I offer you something to drink or to read? I also have snacks here in case you are hungry."

With the constant turbulence from the outside gust, the young, brown-eyed passenger couldn't stomach any more food in her system. Reading a magazine wouldn't be so bad, she thought, at least it would get her mind off of pertinent things for a while.

"Sure. I'll have a Pepsi, please. And do you have the latest issue of People magazine?" Regina asked.

"Let me see here," the flight attendant glanced over to the side of the cart. "Ah, here we go." She handed the issue over to Regina.

The flight attendant then opened a twelve-ounce bottle of Pepsi. With the steady turbulence, she tried hard not to spill the drink over her blue and white uniform while pouring it into a transparent plastic cup. Regina extended her hand to grab her drink and smiled. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need anything else. Just press the button on your armrest," said the flight attendant, now both hands were on the cart handle. Regina nodded, and with that, the petite flight attendant pushed her cart forward to tend to other passengers.

Regina took a quick sip of her drink and sifted through the magazine.

She glanced over at the big projector screen near the front. With the exception of a movie shown about an hour ago, the screen displayed a map of the plane's current location as well as its altitude and the projected time for landing. According to the map, the 767 was flying over the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Only about two more hours before the plane would land at Philadelphia International Airport.

Two more hours and she would be home.

It was early March, and for weeks now Regina had been scheduled to go on her first business trip to Paris. She was assigned to spend a couple of days overseeing a photo shoot depicting the hottest fashions for a feature spread that was going to be published in early spring. This was Regina's first major project since recently getting promoted to art director at one of Philadelphia's top-selling lifestyle magazines.

But the photo shoot never happened. As soon as Regina arrived at the hotel lobby to check in, she had received an urgent message from the front desk receptionist to call home. From the moment Regina boarded the plane seven hours ago, she couldn't shake off the conversation she had with her older brother, Nate. Like a fatherly figure, he ordered his little sister to come home immediately. Home may be where the heart is, but it was the last place Regina wanted to be unfortunately.

"_Something bad has happened," _Nate said. His voice was surprisingly monotoned over the phone, unusual for a guy who's always happy-go-lucky. _"The family needs you."_

"_What's wrong? Is Mom alright?_ _Is the baby sick?" _Regina had asked her brother, referring to the newest addition to the Del Piero family. Three months ago, her older sister Angie and her brother-in-law, WWE wrestler Dave Batista welcomed their second child into the world, a seven-pound baby girl named Athena Marie. _"Please Nate, tell me."_

But he didn't divulge any further details despite the numerous questions his little sister had asked him. _"No, the baby's fine. It's… I -I can't tell you. Not over the phone," _Nate said. _"I'll tell you more when I pick you up at the airport. It's better this way. Trust me. Just please, sis, do whatever you can and get your butt home now!"_

Jet-lagged from her flight to Paris, she didn't even have a chance to go up to her hotel room to rest. Still using the phone from the hotel receptionist's desk, she dialed her work to speak to her boss about this cryptic situation. The last thing Regina wanted to do was screw up a major project, especially since she was the one in charge of setting up the shoot. But her family needed her more, and loyalty was Regina's strongest attribute. She would do anything for her family in a heartbeat. By the sound of Nate's tone, this was a big deal.

Surprisingly, her boss sounded calm over the phone after Regina explained her situation as much as she could. She apologized profusely for abruptly abandoning her project.

"_Don't worry, Regina. Your family needs you right now. We'll think of a backup plan for our spring issue," _her boss said. _"I've just booked you the next flight to Philly. Just get home safely._"

Looking back, did her boss know something too?

Regina slammed the magazine down on her lap. The suspense was killing her. Not even looking at pictures of George Clooney or Brad Pitt could quell the nerves of the young passenger. Her mind kept repeating her brother's words.

_Something bad has happened. _But what?

"What could possibly have happened since I left. I wasn't gone for that long," Regina muttered to herself.

She tried to think of all the possibilities. She knew her baby niece was fine. Did something happen to her other nieces and nephews? Was it her mom? Was Angie OK? Maybe it was her oldest brother, Matt. Maybe it was Nate himself. Did Dave get injured again and needed a major surgery? Regina thought back to the last time she saw her family before her trip.

"Everybody seemed fine when I left," she said to herself. Except for Dave, but that was because he was on the road as usual performing for thousands of fans. A perk for being a sports entertainer, she thought.

Quickly, Regina shook her head. It was useless to come up with a definitive answer. All she would do was create more questions, and her head was starting to throb.

Regina looked over to the two sleepy passengers sitting beside her. They were an elderly couple, most likely in their early 60's. They were from New Jersey, returning home from their European getaway after celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

They looked peaceful, Regina thought.

Before falling asleep though, the woman, who was sitting next to Regina, recounted her and her husband's continental excursions and how the trip was a gift from her children. _"We did so much walking and driving around, we'll be lucky to catch some Z's before the plane lands,"_ said the woman. Less than two minutes after the plane took off, the couple passed out like elderly drunks, making little snoring noises from time to time. Throughout the flight, their hands were entwined with one another between their armrest. The woman's head rested comfortably on her husband's shoulders.

As she turned to face the window again, Regina continued to stare at the white stratocumuluses. She was amazed at the scenery. The clouds, they looked like heaven. Just below that, she could see the small squares of what looked like buildings. Closing her eyes, a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. For some reason, Regina had this uncanny ability to develop watery eyes without even showing any depressing emotion.

A loud, beeping sound suddenly rang three times, reminding passengers to fasten their seat belts. Regina quickly let out a light sigh as she did just that.

The elderly couple awoke, yawning and stretching their arms out. The woman peered over to her right at the window. "Wow, I can't remember the last time I've slept this long in an airplane. I must have been really beat," she said. "Look, honey, we're almost home." The woman's husband also looked out the window and sighed. "It's about time. I can't even feel my legs. Somebody's going to have pull my ass out of this seat," he said.

Regina looked over at them and smiled.

"Ladies and gentleman, please fasten your seat belts. We're about to arrive in Philadelphia," the pilot announced over the loudspeaker.

This is it, Regina thought as the plane was slowly losing altitude. Her brother should be at the airport right now waiting for her. In mere moments, she would find out exactly what her brother couldn't tell her over the phone. No matter what it was, Regina was forced to embrace the unexpected. Whether if she could handle it was another story.

As the plane's wheels touched the runway, the passengers felt a slight jolt from their seats. A loud round of applause echoed around the aircraft as the passengers celebrated the plane's safe landing. When the plane stopped at one of the gates, Regina unfastened her seat belt and waited for the elderly couple to get up from their seats. In the meantime, she put her magazine in her black Coach handbag. In addition to her handbag, she had brought only one carry-on suitcase on the trip. She was able to put it in one of the compartments above her seat, defeating the purpose of going to the pandemonium baggage claim department.

After getting her luggage out of the compartment, Regina grabbed her handbag and made her way out of the plane. She went through customs and immigration departments to check on her passport. When she was finally cleared, Regina walked toward the front of the terminal, hoping to find Nate.

"REGINA!" a man's voice yelled. Regina turned, and there was her brother running toward her. He was wearing a black buttoned-down shirt and black slacks. She started running toward him as fast as she could, but the weight of her suitcase made it impossible.

The bald-headed brother was finally the one who closed the gap between them. The siblings put their arms around each other tightly as if they hadn't seen each other for many years. In reality, it was just a few days.

"How was your flight?" Nate asked, still hugging his little sister.

"It was fine," Regina said. She paused for a minute or two before she continued to speak. She just had to know. "Tell me what happened. What is it that you couldn't tell me over the phone?"

Nate reluctantly pulled himself back and grabbed the handle of Regina's suitcase. "Come on, let's go somewhere private so that we can talk," he said. He took hold of her hand and guided her out of the sliding doors. Regina stopped.

"NO!" she said, her voice unexpectedly louder than usual. "Don't hide this from me any longer. Either you tell me now or I am getting myself back on the plane." Her index finger motioned back at the sliding doors.

Nate looked at his sister in disbelief. Sure, she had every right to know, but the airport was not a good place to share bad news. Especially _this_ bad news. Finally, Nate gave up and sighed. He didn't want to fight with his sister. "All right. All right. I'll tell you," he said. "Can we just sit down first?"

Regina nodded. There was a bench near the entranceway of the terminal. The siblings sat down, Nate pulled the suitcase on the bench next to him. With her legs crossed, Regina put her handbag on her lap. Nate turned toward her little sister and grabbed hold of her hands. He kept his head down. Regina let go of one of her hands and gently lifted his head up. His eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

"Nate, you're scaring me. What's going on?" asked Regina, concern creasing her brow. "Please. You can tell me anything."

Nate paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. Fuck it, he said to himself.

"I don't know how else to tell you this. So I'm going to just say it," Nate said, his voice choked with emotion. He looked up at Regina. Tears were streaming down his face. "Angie's dead."

Regina's eyes widened. She felt as if her heart had stopped. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. A large wail substituted instead. Regina covered her mouth and put her head down. Nate put his hand on her shoulders, offering some comfort. The siblings embraced each other again, hiding their distraught faces from anyone who passed them.

In the midst of their sobbing, Regina couldn't help but wonder if Dave knew of the news. If he did, how was he doing? As the sobbing grew louder, Regina's mind instantly focused on the two innocent people affected the most.

Her little nieces. Angie and Dave's daughters.

_Why did you have to take their mother away from them? They won't remember her when she was alive,_ Regina thought. Who was going to take care of them when Dave was away? Who was going to take care of them?

As passengers were coming out of the airport joyously reuniting with friends and family, the siblings sat on the bench for several minutes, sobbing uncontrollably and holding one another as they mourned the loss of their beloved sister.

In that moment, Regina's world was never going to be same again.


	2. Chapter 2: Mourning Drive

**A/N: First, I want to thank **DarkAngelElektra, Esha Napoleon, and AshlynnxHearts **for reviewing the first chapter of my FIRST story. You guys are frickin' awesome! Second, I apologize for the time it took to write this chapter. I am not really good at posting chapters up quickly so please be patient with me. Third, DO NOT FRET. I repeat, DO NOT FRET. Batista will have some action in the next chapter. As always, read, review and enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Mourning Drive

Regina stared into space out the window of the car, not paying any attention to the radio blaring in the background or to Nate talking on his cell phone. Leaning back against her seat, Regina closed her eyes. Her mind kept retracing back to the last words her brother uttered at the airport:

_Angie's dead. _

The devastating news hit Regina like a ton of bricks. She felt increasingly numb as if a strong beast power-bombed her ass to the ground. Her stomach cramped so tight with emotion that it hurt like hell. Her body immediately turned into a weeping machine.

That said, walking to the parking lot proved to be an obstinate chore for the young traveler, as she couldn't lift herself up off the bench. An airport worker was hired to carry the suitcases to the car, while Regina clung to Nate for support so that she wouldn't faint or collapse on the pavement.

Now, the mournful siblings were heading home, where Regina would face an unfortunate, emotional reunion with the rest of her family. During the ride, Nate didn't spit out any more words about Angie's death. In addition to talking on his cell, his eyes were fixated on the busy expressway.

The abrupt click of the cell snapped Regina back to reality. She opened her eyes and looked out at her view in front of the dashboard. Traffic was slowly picking up. Nate glanced briefly at her. As much as he loved his little sister, he hated the fact that he was hired by the family to be burden of bad news, but he had no choice. He reached over and gently took hold of Regina's hand, hoping to inject some ounce of strength as he was about to unleash another bombshell.

"So, the police are involved," he said. "We're cooperating with them."

Regina looked at her brother in bewilderment. "Police?" she asked. "What for?"

"They're conducting an investigation on Angie," Nate declared.

"An investigation?" Regina continued to query. Was it her or was each new information about her sister's death getting more bizarre?

"Yeah. We don't know a whole lot though," the elder sibling's voice almost cracked. He tried to maintain his focus on the road.

"Well, what do _we_ know?" Regina was growing impatient. She knew Nate was hiding something else. He wasn't very good at keeping a steady composure under pressure, especially behind the wheel. "What happened?"

Nate quickly rubbed his forehead. Hoping to avoid any sudden collision, he flipped on the right turn signal and pulled the vehicle off to the side of the road, putting it in park. He turned off the engine and pressed the four-way flasher light button on. He slowly turned his body over toward Regina, letting out a heavy sigh. "Sis, um, Angie was killed in a car accident."

"_Whhaaatt?!"_ Regina shrieked. Again, she was having trouble speaking. She tried moving her mouth but no clear words were coming out. "How" and "when" were the only words that she could blurt out. Regina looked away, tears were beginning to tingle her eyes again. She tried to blink them away.

"All we know is that it happened last night," Nate explained. "She was driving back home on I-95 and…" He stopped, hesitating on what he was going to say next. "And what?" Regina pressed on, wiping her tears with her fingers.

"There was a car that was going in the wrong direction and it hit Angie and another car head on," Nate said softly, practically a whisper. "Police said that she and the driver of the other car both died at the scene.

Regina slowly put her head down. _My best friend is gone. This is a nightmare. A fucking nightmare,_ she thought.

"I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, sis," Nate said with compassion.

"What about the driver that went in the wrong direction?" Regina demanded to know, her voice began to shake.

"Apparently, he was taken to the hospital," Nate said. "We don't know the extent of his injuries."

As if the wind knocked her even farther over the edge, the details of the accident slowly began to sink in. Regina unbuckled her seat belt and buried her face in her lap, bawling uncontrollably. "_NOOOOO!_" Regina cried out. She also screamed Angie's name as well as the Lord's name in vain. Nate took his hand from her lap and gently placed it on her back, massaging her. "It's okay, hun, let it out. Let it all out."

Several minutes of sobbing subsided before Regina regained composure again. She picked up her purse off the ground, opened the zipper, and grabbed her bottled water. She took a long swig of the liquid before twisting the cap again and putting the bottle back in her purse. "Are you ok now?" Nate asked with concern. "Yeah, I'm fine," Regina's voice was low and deathly calm.

"Sis, I know I don't have to tell you this, but we've gotta be strong … for Mom. She's _really_ taking it hard," Nate cautioned.

Regina nodded. Losing a sister may be hard to cope, but losing a daughter, let alone a first-born daughter, is obviously one of the most devastating moments in a mother's life. And Regina's mother is no stranger when it came to family tragedies.

"Mom's the one who got the phone call about it last night. When she called me and Matt … we couldn't understand her," her brother continued. "We thought she was having a heart attack so we rushed over … and that's how we knew about it."

As Nate turned on the ignition and, skillfully, moved the car down the busy road, he continued to explain how he called Regina's office and explained to her boss about the family emergency and to get the number at her Paris hotel.

Meanwhile, Regina wasn't paying any attention to him again. Leaned back against her seat again, she thought back to the last conversation she had with Angie. It was right before she boarded on a plane to Paris. After calling home to tell her mother that her plane was running on time, Regina called her sister's cell. Angie was on the road, making a lengthy trip back to her home in Long Island, leaving her girls, Caroline and Athena, with their grandmother for the weekend. She and Batista were planning to have a long-awaited romantic rendezvous. The enthusiasm of Angie's voice on the other end of the line was contagious. He was supposed to drive home later that night from doing a house show in western Pennsylvania. Thanks to his hectic wrestling tour schedule, their 13-year marriage was often challenged by separation. But this was his only way of supporting his young family. With Angie gone forever, this was the most agonizing separation for the up-and-coming pro wrestler, known simply to fans as "The Animal."

Without any hesitation, Regina interrupted Nate's ranting. "How's Dave doing? Does Dave know?" The elder sibling glanced briefly at her again. "I don't know. Somebody was supposed to call and tell him."

Regina stared out the window again. If Batista heard the news right about now, Lord knows what _he_ must be going through.


	3. Chapter 3 Animal Putdown

**A/N: Thank you to those of you who reviewed my last chapter. You know who you are and you are TOTALLY awesome! If you haven't yet reviewed, shame on you! Haha! Just kidding. But in all seriousness, your feedbacks are so encouraging and they make me want to update faster. So keep them comin'!**

**A/A/N: Again, I own none of the WWE Superstars' names. As always read, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3: Animal Putdown

Since it was a Monday Night Raw house show, their winning feat over the Dudley Boyz didn't carry any special merit. But it didn't stop Batista and Randy Orton from withholding their excitement over the outcome.

"Man, that was some spinebuster you did on DeVon," Randy replied, nudging his tag team partner's upper arm. "Did you hear the fans? They were nuts!"

Batista chuckled. "Yeah, that was awesome. Good thing I didn't tear a muscle when I did that." The six foot five, three hundred and twenty-five pound Animal was lying on a table in the middle of the ring when DeVon climbed on top of the ropes to seal the match with his 3-D signature move. However, Batista was quick to retaliate. He immediately got off the table just as DeVon jumped. With deftness, the Animal caught his former sidekick in mid-air with both hands, slammed him through the table, and pinned him for the win. When the bell rang, the boos around the arena in Pittsburgh were deafening.

The match also brought an undeniable effect on their bodies as they were semi-limping back to the men's locker room.

"Hey, let's celebrate our win tonight," Randy pondered. "What do you say we drink some beers at the bar and pick up some hot chicks before we hit the road again?" Tempting as it sounded, Batista knew he wouldn't get away with murder. He flashed a gold band on his left ring finger to his partner and raised his eyebrows. "Man, you know I'm married."

Orton shrugged his shoulders as he tried to come up with Plan B. "Okay, how about a beer and picking up some hot chicks for me?" Batista chuckled again, he gratefully appreciated the offer. He could use a beer right now, but again refused. "Sorry, man, but you're on your own. I got somebody special waiting for me at home."

"Man, I wish I could find a girl that I can come home to," said the Legend Killer. Randy was young and immature, but he had the best of intentions. Batista slapped his partner on the back. "You will, man. Trust me, one day you'll be as lucky as me."

After more than six weeks on the road, Batista was desperate to get home and spend a romantic weekend with Angie. Despite not seeing each other every day, he made it a rule to call her at least five times a day either at home or at work. Their conversations would typically be about his matches, road stories, fan interactions, her day, their two young daughters, Caroline and Athena, or just to say "I love you." Built like a beast, Batista was a softie at heart. He loved hearing his wife's voice. Unlike some superstars, Batista didn't need steroids to augment his performance. Angie's enthusiastic spunk always sent a jolt down the Animal's spine. That same spunk also calmed the Animal down whenever he was pissed about something. Today was no exception. He needed a dose of that "medicine." Batista had called his wife's cell multiple times, leaving messages on her voicemail. But he didn't think anything of it. She was probably busy getting ready for his arrival.

Batista was madly in love with Angie. His love for her has fallen deeper since the day they met as kids when they lived across the street from one another. To prove to his longtime girlfriend that she was "The One," Batista had her name stamped in red Kanji characters on his left bicep and, afterwards, proposed to her in the tattoo parlor. But their relationship wasn't necessarily picture perfect. Early in their marriage, they've endured some rough patches, particularly with money, miscarriages, and marital infidelities (mostly by him). But Angie always stood by her husband's side. She knew marriage had its ups and downs, and she wasn't going to give up her first love. For better or for worse, they vowed to each other on their wedding day, they would be together forever_._

_For better or for worse._

Life for the young couple began to ameliorate when they welcomed their first bundle of joy three years ago. Though Angie sacrificed a lot in her life, particularly her nursing career, so that her husband could pursue his dreams in becoming a professional wrestler, she happily embraced her new role as a mother_. _Batista promised Angie that their life would get better once he signed with the WWE. Indeed, years of living in shithole apartment quarters came to an end recently when the new family moved into a two-story mansion in a gated community on Long Island.

If Angie was his greatest weakness, Caroline and Athena were his two greatest miracles. With that, Batista's life couldn't have been more complete.

The men turned the corner and saw the door of the men's locker room. Whenever the WWE Superstars were at a house show, all the male wrestlers shared a locker room and the Divas had theirs. Since Evolution was Raw's only stable and presumably the most dominant force in sports entertainment, the group was lucky to have their own locker room at the live shows.

Batista and Randy stepped into the room and were surprised at who they saw. The rest of the superstars had left the arena. Sixteen-time World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was pacing across the room, his hands were clasped under his chin. Current World Champion Triple H had his back toward the guys, murmuring to someone in front of him.

The mood was strangely awkward. The Legend Killer was the one who broke the ice. "What's up guys? Who's up for a little celebration with me this evening?" Ric and Triple H turned around and looked up. Though Randy's proposition was intended to lighten up the mood, the "past" and "present" members didn't give into the offer. The Game stepped aside to reveal another unusual, yet familiar figure.

Vince McMahon.

Randy gulped. It was weird seeing the chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment backstage at a house show. Because of his corporate responsibilities, his attendance at house shows was infinitesimal. Granted, Vince can be pretty intimidating, but he always got along well with the superstars, if they were on his good side. McMahon's main philosophy was simple. He wanted his Superstars to have the same drive and passion in making the billion-dollar company a success, domestically and globally.

Vince infused that philosophy when he hired Batista and Randy from Ohio Valley Wrestling. While Randy had the advantage of being a third-generation wrestling prodigy, the Animal was a different story. Vince saw more than drive and passion in Batista. Beneath the hard, muscular, tattooed frame was a man that bled in hunger for the industry from head to toe.

"It's good to see you, sir. How are you doing?" Randy cleared his throat, sucking up to the boss.

"I'm fine, Randy. Congratulations to you both on your match," Vince said, walking a few steps toward the tag team partners.

"Thank you, sir," Batista and Randy said in unison.

"Would you all excuse us? I'd like to speak to Dave alone," Vince glanced at each Evolution member. Ric and Triple H nodded at the chairman. They had a stern look on their faces. As they walked toward the door, they each patted Batista's shoulder. Randy gathered his changing clothes and was the last one out the door.

And then there were two. The Animal and the self-proclaimed Genetic Jackhammer.

Ironically, the last time these two men were in a room together was last year when Batista signed a multi-year contract in Vince's corporate office in Stamford, Connecticut. It was a dream come true for the 32-year-old. Suddenly, Batista contemplated all the reasons why Vince wanted to speak to him privately. Was he getting the boot from Evolution? Was he going back to OVW? Or worse. Was he getting the ax from the company?

Batista knew he had a long way to go to perfect his wrestling techniques, but he was making improvements. He was glad to have Triple H and the legendary Ric Flair as his mentors, giving him pointers in honing his craft, and he always took their advice. Being a member of Evolution was more than an honor. It was a privilege. Handpicked by Triple H, Batista exuded a monster quality of unbridled destruction A force of nature, if you will. He represented the future of the WWE, a future major Superstar in his own right.

Though being in Evolution had its perks – riding in the limousines and fancy cars, sitting courtside with celebrities at basketball games, and wearing expensive clothes – Batista never took his position in the group for granted. He knew that it could all be taken away from him in an instant. Maybe this was it.

"Is everything okay, Vince?" Batista asked, quizzically. Vince always encouraged superstars to call him by his first name.

"No, not really," The WWE chairman motioned him to the wooden bench near the cubbyholes. "Sit down, son."

Like a good dog, Batista obeyed his boss, making slow strides toward the other side of the locker room. _He called me "son." Nobody ever called me that, _he thought. _That's it, I'm done_. Quickly, Batista ruminated all the possible excuses to stay on the brand. He'll train harder. He'll eat healthier. Hell, he'll even get more sleep. He sacrificed a lot to be in the current position in the company, and he wasn't about to be let go without a fight. Deep down, there were three main reasons to continue wrestling.

Angie. Caroline. Athena.

Angie had been the epitome of support in his wrestling career since the very beginning from the Samoan wrestling school in Allentown to OVW. His daughters may be too young to understand their father's profession, but each week Batista beat and bled for them in order to support their futures. On the road, he was someone fans loved to hate, but at home, he was always loved and adored. Batista couldn't ask for anything more.

Vince sat down next to the superstar. He let out a heavy sigh. "This is hard for me to say this."

"Look Vince, whatever it is, I can do-," Batista said, but the chairman held up his hand and interjected. "Please, let me finish."

The Animal peered over at Vince. His head was down while talking, his hands were clasped together on his knees. "For as long as I've been in this business, I have done many things that have helped and hurt people. And I've done it for one purpose: for the goodness of this company. I have hired them. I have fired them. I have berated them. Hell, I have even beaten some of them in the ring."

Batista creased his brow in confusion. Where was Vince going with his speech? "But none of those things has prepared me for what I'm about to tell you," Vince continued, looking up at the Animal. "While you were in your match, I got a call from the Pennsylvania State Police.

Batista looked down and lightly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't getting fired, but he was still confused. He wished Vince would get to the bottom of his speech. The Animal suddenly felt a hand on one of his shoulder blades. "There was a car accident on the interstate late last night. Apparently, a drunk driver was speeding and went in the wrong direction…" Batista squeezed his brown eyes shut. He didn't like where Vince was going with this.

" …It spun out of control and hit two cars head on and ….," Vince stopped and took another deep breath. This was heartbreaking for him. Silence filled the air in the locker room.

Before the chairman could say anything else, Batista slowly raised his head and looked at him straight in the eye.

"And what?" he demanded.

"I'm so sorry, Dave, but Angie was in one of the cars," Vince replied, compassionately. Batista's facial expression never changed, masking any possible emotion hidden in his soul. He was holding back everything he had, except the slight twitch in his jaw muscle. When he did speak, his voice was husky. "How is she?" he demanded again. This time, he didn't care who he was talking to. Vince didn't answer.

"_How the hell is she?"_ Batista's low-cut voice grew louder.

Being the head honcho in the WWE, Vince never felt more uncomfortable in front of a Superstar until that very moment. He hated being in this position, but he had no other choice. It was better that Batista knew the truth from someone he trusted rather than some whack-job. "The police said she suffered massive internal injuries because of the impact." He paused for a moment. "I'm so sorry… but she's dead."

For a moment, Batista's expression didn't change. It was as though he hadn't heard Vince's last words. The chairman's continuous sincere apologies was all that he could offer to him. He tried to offer comfort, but the Animal wanted none of it. He rose to his feet, slowly pacing around the locker room, trying to make sense at the sudden revelation.

"No….no…no…no. I know what you're trying to do," Batista shook his index finger at Vince. "You're pulling my leg here." He chuckled humorlessly. "This is not funny." He placed his massive hands on his hips. "In fact, this is a sick joke. Tell me, please tell me you're joking."

But Vince didn't laugh. "I really wish I was, Dave," He stood up and shook his head. "I am so, so sorry-"

"_SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" _Batista interrupted, his tone brusque, his nostrils flaring. Normally, he wouldn't yell at his boss like that, but he was still refusing to believe the inevitable. He got in his boss's face. "Angie is not dead. Do you hear me? _My wife is not dead_. She's at home. She is waiting for me. Now if you excuse me, you're wasting my time!"

"Do you think I would joke about something like this?" Now Vince's raspy tone arose. "Do you want to call the state police and hear it for yourself?" He pulled out his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket.

Batista quickly grabbed his shampoo and towel. He had no time for games. He was about to walk over to the shower room when Vince blurted out, "Did you ever get a hold of Angie today?"

This time, the Animal froze. He did call Angie today. Several times. But he suddenly realized that she never called back. _This never happened before because she always calls me back,_ Batista thought. He dropped his shampoo and towel and rushed over to his cubbyhole and grabbed his cell. He flipped up the tiny screen to see if he had any messages. None. Frantically, he speed-dialed Angie's number and waited for the ringtone.

"I'll show you that she's alive," Batista said to Vince. His husky voice now filled with emotion.

_One ring._

_Two rings._

_Three rings. _

"Come on, baby, pick up," Batista pleaded on the phone. "Pick up!"

But no answer. After a few more rings, Batista finally snapped his phone shut and slammed it to the ground, miraculously it did not break. As the revelation started to sink in, the Animal's features started to sag, the anger transformed into misery. Emotion was filling up in his throat, but he tried to choke it back down. Batista leaned against the wall, slumping down to the floor. "Baby, you can't leave me," he whispered to himself, his voice cracked. "_Angie… Angggiiiiieeee…ohhhh Angieeee."_ As tears streamed down his cheeks, Batista kept repeating that angelic name. As the Evolution's Animal, he was the enforcer, taking care of any task that interfered in his or his fellow members' way. He felt so helpless now. He didn't know what to do.

One thing was for sure. He had to get home as fast as he could. He had to see for himself what exactly happened.

Vince could read Batista's mind. He walked over to the wall and crouched in front of him. "Listen to me, I have a car waiting for you in the parking garage. It will take you to the airport. The corporate jet is there and it will take you home," he said softly. He put his hands on the Animal's shoulders. "Go be with your daughters and the rest of your family. Take all the time you need."

Batista nodded his head. He slowly regained his strength and stood up. "Thanks, Vince." While the men exchanged a warm embrace, Batista continued to break down uncontrollably.

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Triple H, Ric, and Randy overheard the conversation by the locker room door. It wasn't hard listening to the Animal's outcry that echoed from the walls. Quietly, the Evolution members filed back into the locker room and joined the chairman in offering comfort and condolences to the newly-widower.


	4. Chapter 4: Never Leaving You

Chapter 4: Never Leaving You

Still jet-lagged from her 48-hour trip, Regina was in desperate need of sleep and some peace and quiet, but the mumbling tones from below proved otherwise. Throughout the evening, the doorbell became a constant interloper as grieving relatives and friends arrived at the house with baskets and platters full of food in hand. Every perimeter of the house was surrounded by folks munching on appetizers and desserts and consoling one another, repeatedly wondering why God would take away the life of such a young, sweet, loving wife and mother of two so quickly.

Regina had had enough of the cryfest for one night. Thanks to a crowded household, she managed to sneak upstairs to her bedroom without notice. Although grateful for the outpouring of love and support from her loved ones, Regina needed some time alone. She needed to gather her thoughts on the day's events. However, ever since she arrived home from the airport, she never got that chance. What was once a cocoon of laughter and love, the two-story brick house that the Del Piero family has called home since emigrating to the United States from Italy has now become a temple of mourn.

Laying down in her bed, Regina closed her eyes and rewound her brain like a movie projector back to the events that happened when she got home.

_Just as she suspected, Regina's mother, Maria, and her oldest brother, Matt, were waiting for her at the door. Regina could never forget the look on her mother's face as they met eye to eye. Maria's eyes were swollen red from sobbing. Shocking deaths were nothing new to the Del Piero family as for many years, they've strongly relied on each other and their Catholic faith for peace. For some reason though, this time around was different. Many people were affected by Angie's sudden death. With just one look, Regina embraced her mother as tight as she could, burying her face in her shoulders as both women sobbed loudly in unison. Nate and Matt wrapped their huge arms around them and they all grieved for their beloved Angie._

Back in her room now, Regina sighed. Voices grew even louder as more people came to the house. _This night is never going to end, _she thought. Tossing and turning in her twin bed, the brown-eyed girl tried to drown out the source of the volume. She covered her ears with her pillows, but it was no use. She could hear people laughing, sobbing, or simply talking in a mesh of English and Italian. It wouldn't be a surprise if the neighbors heard voices from their homes and called the police, but then again, the whole neighborhood was at her house.

Regina got up, walked over to the other side of the room and shut the door. "Now, that's better," she muttered to herself. She slowly turned around and carefully examined the room. It was a small room once shared with Angie before she moved out at 18 when she secretly eloped with Batista. The room looked exactly the same.

Plain carnation pink wallpaper covered every nook and cranky of the room. Posters depicting movie characters and teen idols like Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze covered Angie's side of the walls, while Regina's side contained framed certificates marking her academic and community accomplishments, including the most recent one: her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Regina hated the color, but Angie adored it because she considered herself a girly girl. After Angie moved out, Regina kept the wallpaper because it reminded her of her sister. The mahogany double vanity tables, the dresser drawers, and the side-by-side twin beds were done by the handy craftsmanship of a family friend as a gift to the girls when the family moved into the house more than 20 years ago.

Regina looked down at Angie's old bed, the one closest to the door. Rarely used except when guests sleep over, the bed was neatly made and adorned with a bright yellow comforter and three big puffy pillows. Dozens of small stuffed animals were propped up against the pillows. Her niece Carrie always loved to play with them whenever she dropped by. Regina loved sharing her room with Angie. Though six years apart, the Del Piero sisters were very close at the heart, even though Angie was the spontaneous one, and Regina was more practical. Raising four young children alone was a lot to handle for Maria so Angie often acted as a second mother to Regina. Growing up, it was Angie who taught her little sister the basic necessities like how to walk and how to talk in Italian and making sure she wasn't getting into trouble. Thanks to an unfortunate, tragic circumstance, Regina was five and Angie was eleven when the family permanently moved to the City of Brotherly Love. When it came to learning English, Angie and Regina relied on each other through cassette tapes, workbooks and television.

As the sisters got older, they developed an incredible bond. They were each other's best friend. They would push their beds together and watch movies and have late night talks about the pop culture, friends, and family. Sometimes the sisters would eavesdrop on what their brothers were doing in the next room. They would also gossip about boys. Dave Batista was the only boy Angie ever talked about. He was her first love. The only love of her life.

Though she thoroughly enjoyed having her own room in her later years, deep down Regina missed sharing the space. At times, she wished she could turn back time to when things seemed whole. Before Angie moved out. Before Batista. Before even coming to America. It took Regina all of her strength to realize that the only way to move on was to not dwell on the past, but sometimes it was easier said than done. She had accepted the fact that Angie had her own life to live, even if that meant being with the man that she loved and raising a family. Regina had tried to look on the bright side. Despite the distance, their bond would never brake and it never did. Regina can still remember the last words Angie said to her on the day she moved out:

"_You can always call me for whatever you need. Remember that I'm always here for you and I love you."_

When Angie gave birth to Caroline (Carrie for short) and Athena, Regina couldn't have been more happy when she was asked to be the girls' godmother. Even though she didn't see her sister every day, the phone calls were a great substitute and they would call each other every day.

No more now. No more room sharing. No more gossiping. No more phone calls. As reality slowly crawled its way back into her head, Regina sat down on the edge of Angie's bed. She picked up one of the stuffed animals and cuddled it tightly. She stared across the room, mostly into space for several minutes, but then a beam of light captured Regina's attention to a silver picture frame on the window ledge. She stood up and walked over to the ledge and picked up the engraved frame. It was a happy picture of two generations of sisters that was taken this past Christmas. Seating in front of the Christmas tree were Angie and Regina donning Santa hats as they respectfully held Baby Athena and Carrie. Above the picture, an engraved message glistened the silver frame in black calligraphy lettering: "Sisters: a bond never broken."

Regina caressed her fingers over the photo. She tried fight back the tears, but it was too late. Immediately, her eyes welled up and they flowed down her face like a streaming river. A teardrop fell on the photo, falling on Angie's face. The pain inside her heart was unbearable to handle as it sent shockwaves throughout her body. She felt numbness in her legs, struggling to stand still like a cracked rod on a banister. Regina struggled to maintain her composure. She leaned her thigh on the vanity table for support. But the support was not enough. As if someone hit her hamstring with a metal stick, Regina's knees buckled and suddenly her butt slammed against the cold hardwood floor. Still pressing the frame against her chest, she started to weep louder. Since the door was shut, the loud grief buffet from downstairs made it hard for anyone to hear what was going on in Regina's bedroom. Maybe it was better this way. Regina needed to mourn alone for her only sister. No one from downstairs could ever understand how she was feeling, she thought.

The more Regina continued to piece together the facts of the accident in her mind, the more grief she continued to flush out. _A drunk driver killed my sister, _she thought. Of all the events that Angie endured in her life, the one thing that could ever kill her was a stupid mistake. As the thought circulated her mind, a flash of venom suddenly burst in her soul. Gritting her teeth, Regina unleashed her fury and, without thinking, hurled the frame across the room, crashing it against the wall. The sound of the frame braking into bits and pieces echoed across the room. She looked at the broken frame, horrified by what she'd done.

"That son of bitch is going to pay for this. He's going to pay for what he did to my sister!" For the next several minutes, Regina buried her face in her hands as she sobbed. She was too wrapped up in herself that her pulse jumped as when she felt three small taps on her shoulder. She turned around.

"What's wrong?" said a young voice.

Regina froze. It was her niece Carrie. She was way caught up in her emotions that neither did she hear the creaking sound of her bedroom door open nor the tiny footsteps walking into the room. Clutching a small brown teddy bear, a gift from her parents after Athena was born, Carrie, wearing a red Elmo pajama gown, quizzically looked at her aunt. "Why are you crying?" the little girl pressed on.

Regina quickly wiped the tears off her face and stood up. She tried to put on a brave front for her niece and quickly tried to think of something to say. Regina didn't want to state the obvious reason at least for right now. But what can you say to a three-year-old? Especially to a three-year-old who just lost her mother. Regina glanced at the digital clock beside her bed. It read 10:15. It was way past Carrie's bedtime. Regina had an inkling of why Carrie was up, but hoping to change the subject, it didn't hurt to ask. "Now what are you doing up so late?" she asked her niece. Carrie was at the age where inquisitiveness became a hobby, not a habit. Regina thoroughly enjoyed racking her brains out. Like a little reporter, Carrie loved to ask questions about anything and EVERYTHING! Almost all of her questions started with the word "why." However, this time it was the young aunt asking the questions. It was the best that she could do to get her niece's mind off of the obvious commotion around the house. "Aren't you tired?"

Carrie slowly put her head down as if in shame. "I can't sleep," she replied in a soft voice. Regina walked over and squatted down to her niece's level. She lifted her chin up, and it was no surprise that Carrie had a sad look on her face. "Come here," Regina carefully picked Carrie up and sat her on the edge of Angie's old bed. The young aunt sat next to her. Hoping to cheer her niece up, Regina picked up one of the many stuffed animals on the bed. "Here, do you want to play with this?" Carrie shook her head. As Regina put her arm around the little girl, she could feel gentle movement as Carrie leaned against her aunt's chest. At three, Carrie was the spitting image of Angie. Medium dark brown hair with short bangs and brown eyes. Like her mother, Carrie had an infectious personality. She knew how to light up a room with smile and spunk. She was the apple of her parents' eyes. When baby Athena was born in late December, Carrie said Santa Claus had granted her only Christmas wish -- becoming a big sister. But that infectious spunk was gone, sadness grew.

"Why can't you sleep, sweetie?" Regina asked again. "Did you have a bad dream?" Carrie didn't say anything at first. Instead, she lowered her head so that her dark, brown locks disguised any possible emotion on her face. Regina lifted Carrie and sat her on her lap. She lifted her niece's chin once again. She could tell something was bothering the tyke.

"Carrie?" Regina shook her shoulders. She became a little concerned. What was this child hiding? She couldn't know the truth, could she? "What is the matter? Why can't you sleep?" Carrie let out a slight sniffle and shrugged her shoulders. Regina wasn't sure if her niece was trying to hold back tears or snorting back some mucus.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Regina asked. Carrie shook her head.

"Did you get in trouble today?" Again, the child didn't say a word, just shook her head no.

Fortunately, Carrie and Athena weren't around for much of the day. They were sent to a neighbor's home just down the street who was babysitting two children around their age. By the time the girls were brought home, they were both zonked out. Regina realized that the loud commotion from downstairs must have awoken the tyke. It was only a matter of time that Carrie would learn of her mother's death. Unbeknownst to Regina, the time would come really soon. She hoped that Carrie didn't pick up any clues, but there was only one way to find out.

"I know something is bothering you," Regina spoke softly into Carrie's ear. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Anything?" Carrie finally spoke up. She looked at her aunt in amazement. Regina smiled. "Yes, anything. Don't you remember? We're best buddies. Whatever we say stays between us."

"Pinky swear?" the young child asked. She lifted her left pinky in front of her aunt. Regina did the same and chained it with Carrie's to solidify the promise. "Pinky swear," she replied. "Now tell me what's wrong." The brave little girl let out a big sigh before she began. "I can't sleep because… I can't sleep because everybody so loud downstairs."

Regina knew it, but she tried to act surprised. "Is that all that is?" Apparently, everybody downstairs had forgotten that two children were upstairs sleeping and oblivious to the major drama. Peace and quiet seems so foreign to her family that whatever conversation arises – good or bad, big or small – it has to be expressed in the loudest volume for the whole world to hear. "I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie. I'm going to go downstairs and tell them to be quiet so that you can sleep."

As Regina gently put Carrie on the bed again and started to get up, Carrie gripped her arm. "Wait, there's more." Regina sat back down on the bed. Again, she put her arm around her little niece, hoping to inject some strength to her. With loud voices coming from downstairs, who knows what Carrie heard. Hopefully not the worst. It would have broken the little girl's heart.

"What else is bothering you, sweetie?" Regina asked. "Everybody's crying and talking about Mommy," Carrie replied. "And I come here and see you cry. What's wrong? Did Mommy do something wrong?"

Oh dear, Regina thought. She didn't like where this conversation was headed. She didn't want to be the one to tell Carrie the bad news. Regina felt it was not her position. It should be someone more authoritative to the child. Her father should be here right now tending to his daughter. Regina's family had tried to track Batista down, leaving numerous messages on his cell phone. With Batista on the road almost 365 days a year, it was hard for him to assume his parental responsibilities full time. Most of the time, Angie had to assume the role of mother and father to their young daughters. But with her gone, who's left to fill that void? Carrie deserved to know the truth, but maybe not the whole truth at least not right now.

"No, honey, Mommy didn't do anything wrong," Regina assured her niece.

"Well, then why are people crying?" Carrie pressed on, putting Regina in a very difficult position. She had two options, she thought. She could lie to the child or tell her the truth in a way that Carrie would understand. Regina turned to face her niece. Lying to the child would be a sin. Regina would feel guilty afterwards. Telling the truth, on the other hand, would have to be done as carefully as possible. She stared off to the side for a bit, trying to think of something to say. When she looked at Carrie again, her face turned serious. "I'm going to tell you something because you're a big girl now, ok?" Carrie nodded her head. "Now you know that Mommy loves you very, very much and would do anything to make you happy, right?" Again, Carrie nodded in agreement.

"Well, do you remember when Mrs. Canuso's dog was very sick and couldn't walk anymore?" asked Regina, referring to her neighbor's beagle that died of cancer not too long ago. Carrie loved playing with the dog whenever she visited. She called the dog "Buddy." When it was time to tell Carrie about Buddy's death, Angie had to break the news very gently.

"Yeah, mommy said that Buddy had to go to a special place where he could learn to walk again with the other doggies," Carrie answered. At a young age, the young tyke had a good memory. "That's right!" Regina happily exclaimed. "Since, Mommy knew how much you loved that doggie, she went to that special place to take care of him."

"Oh," Carrie said, with a slight resoluteness in her voice. "When is she coming back?"

At last, it came. The inevitable question. And with one answer. One word would change her niece's life forever. Regina hated the fact that she had to bear the burden. She didn't deserve this. Carrie didn't deserve this. She was way too young to understand. Regina could see herself in Carrie. History was repeating itself. The young aunt immediately closed her eyes, reminiscing to that fateful day when her world fell apart. No. No, she wasn't going to go there. She had to be strong.

"Aunt Regina?" Carrie asked, snapping Regina back to reality. Regina could feel a cold tear stream down her face. She immediately wiped it off. Internally, she begged God to give her as much strength as she could for the girls, not just through this difficult time, but for their rest of their lives.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. What did you say?" Regina pretended not to hear that last question. "I said, when is Mommy coming back?" Carrie enthusiastically asked. Regina took hold of her niece's hands and pressed them close to her heart. If she had to break the news, she had to do it as gently as possible, hoping not to scare the child.

"Honey, I want you to do me a big favor. Can you do that for me?"

Carrie nodded. So far, so good.

"I want you to remember that Mommy loves you very, very much, ok? Can you do that?" Again, Carrie nodded.

Here goes. "Mommy…is not…coming…back," Regina slowly announced, trying so hard not to make her voice quiver.

"Why not?" Carrie's voice rose, her eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Because God wanted Mommy to take care of Buddy," answered Regina. She couldn't think of anything else to say.

Carrie looked up at Regina. Her face was still serious. "Did Daddy go there too?" The three-year-old and her father had a special bond and understood that her father traveled a lot for work. "No, honey, he didn't go," Regina replied.

With her inquisitiveness in full gear, Carrie continued to press questions to her young aunt about her father's knowledge on Angie's "trip" and the people downstairs. Regina looked at her niece's behavior in amazement.

"Why didn't she take me to see Buddy?" Carrie asked. "I wanted to go see him. Didn't she want me?"

Each question that Carrie asked was like another difficult hurdle to cross.

"I think that she wanted to bring you, but she thought that since you're such a good girl, she wanted somebody to look after Athena. Who better to look after Athena than her big sister." Regina tried to act positive, but she could tell from Carrie's face that she wasn't buying it.

"This is not good news, right?" Carrie muttered. Regina's heart broke for the girl. How the little girl was able to summarize the gist of the situation was mind-boggling. Sure, she didn't uncover the _real _reason why her mother was gone.

"No, honey, it's not," Regina replied. And with that, Carrie put her arms around her aunt, embracing her as tightly as she could. "I want my mommy!" she tearfully said. "I want my mommy!"

Her heart sank after hearing those words. For several minutes, Regina returned the favor, comforting her niece's sobs with kisses on the cheek and forehead. "I know, sweetie. I know." She got up and walked down the hallway to the guest room, where a couch had already been opened up to a bed for Carrie to sleep. Next to the bed, there was a bassinet with Baby Athena fast asleep, unaware of the ruckus downstairs and the major drama that clouded her. After tucking Carrie and her teddy bear in, Regina was headed for the door, but she felt something pulling her back. She turned around and saw that Carrie took hold of her hand.

"Please don't go, Aunt Regina," the little tyke said, her voice sounded so soft. "Don't leave me too."

Tears started to well up Regina's eyes again, but fortunately the room was dark so she didn't bother to wipe them off her cheeks. Carrie was right, Regina thought. She shouldn't be alone tonight, not after discovering the most devastating news. Angie would have wanted Regina to look after her daughters if anything happened to her. Now that the moment came, she had a duty to do. She was going to be a pillar of strength for her nieces just like Angie was to her when she was their age. Right then and there, she silently vowed to protect her nieces at whatever cost and was never going to let them down.

"No, honey, I'm not leaving. I-I was just going to close the door so that we can sleep," Regina said as she performed the action. As she walked over to the other side of the bed and laid down, Regina felt the small body cuddling up beside her. In return, the young aunt placed her arm around Carrie, and as the young tyke was drifting into sleep, she whispered something in her ear, hoping that Carrie heard it in her sweet dreams:

_I'll never leave you._

The outpouring of love, support, and many baskets of food seemed to sustain the Del Piero family's strength, but by the next morning Regina's, her mother's and two brothers' strengths were going to be tested as they gathered in the waiting room at the medical examiner's office.

Paramedics had recovered a body from the vehicle Angie supposedly drove in a couple nights before. Now, they needed a representative from the family to identify Angie as the deceased before the body would be taken to a nearby funeral home. Initially, Matt had volunteered to go, but Maria, the family matriarch, wouldn't allow her son go alone. Regina and Nate volunteered to accompany their mother and brother for support. 

Matt paced across the waiting room, hands clasped behind his back. "Jesus Christ, what's taking them so long?" he impatiently asked, referring to the medical examiner and her staff.

Regina glanced up at her brother. "Easy Matt, they're probably prepping her up so we can see her." She was sitting next to her mother in one of the waiting area chairs. Her brother Nate was sitting to the right of Maria. All donning in black as a sign of mourning, they all held each other's hands.

"Has anyone heard from Dave?" asked Maria, in her thick, Italian accent. The siblings shook their heads. She looked at her children. "Well, somebody should call him again."

Frustrated, Matt stopped pacing and stared at his mother. "Ma, how many times do we have to call him? We have all left messages on his phone, and he still hasn't called. Obviously, bashing guy's heads is more important to him than being with his family and mourning the death of his wife!"

"That's enough!" Maria shouted to her oldest son. "I won't let you talk like that about him. You don't know what's going on inside of his head. Maybe he don't know yet."

Matt shook his head. "I highly doubt that, Ma. For all I know, he's probably screwing around now that he's available."

Without hesitation, Regina's mother let go of her children's hands, got up from her seat and marched right in front of Matt and slapped him across the face.

Loyalty was Maria's middle name. It didn't matter how old you were. If you said anything mean or derogatory about a close family member, a good slap across the face would always come your way from the matriarch. Maria raised her right index finger and shook it at Matt's face as she interrogated him with rage. "I told you not to talk that way about Dave! He's still family. Family is treated with respect. You don't know what it's like to lose a spouse," Maria paused for a second, her voice almost choked at the end. "And I hope you never do."

There was a moment of silence. Maria put her finger down and returned back to her seat. She let out a heavy sigh. Regina stared at her mother. She was amazed at the woman's fortitude. A widow for more than 20 years, Maria was the only person in the room who knew what Batista was going through. Like Angie, Maria's husband also died of a gruesome death when he was mistakenly gunned down by a mafiaoso outside of a bakery shop in Italy. Fear for her children's safety and keeping her husband's dreams alive, Maria moved quickly in emigrating her family to America. In the years following his death, Maria has relied on her spiritual stamina to move forward and has lit a candle every night before she goes to bed in memory of her husband. If there was any bright side to this horrific ordeal, it was that now her beloved husband would be reunited with their beloved, oldest daughter in heaven. And tonight, another candle would be lit in memory of Angie.

Suddenly, a soft creak of hinges as one of the double doors swung open and a tall, thin medical examiner stepped out. Her dark, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked young, most likely in her early 40s. She had blue scrubs on with a white jacket over top. Maria and the remaining three children all looked up, rising to their feet in anticipation.

The medical examiner looked at each family member and glanced down at her clipboard. "Are you the Del Piero family?" she asked. The family nodded in unison.

"I'll let you all see the body, but I need someone to identify it first," she said.

"I'll do it," said a husky, low voice. The medical examiner looked across the room. The family turned around and looked up. Their eyes widened at the massive figure.

Out of nowhere, standing before them was Batista.


	5. Chapter 5: Goliath's Goodbye

**A/N: This chapter was difficult for me to write. This chapter is short, but this one as well as the next one, which I am in the process of finishing, are gut-wrenching. I figured it would be best to split it up. Thank you to those who have read this story so far. I love you all. I would love to know what you think. So please review and enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 5: Goliath's Goodbye

The medical examiner straightened her white coat and adjusting her eyeglasses. The difficulty of taking her eyes off of his existence was enormous since he was made up of all man. His massive chest must have been the size of Texas, she thought. She had never seen anyone built like this before, especially one wearing little hooped earrings on each lobe. Was he even human? Quickly, the medical examiner shook her head and regained her composure.

She focused herself back to the task at hand. After clearing her throat, she asked, "And you are?"

Batista stared down at the doctor. "I'm Dave. I'm Angie's husband." His soft-spoken tone gave out a resounding echo in the hallway.

"Well, look what the cat dragged out of the bag," Matt sarcastically announced, gesturing his point at Batista's presence.

The family glared at him, hoping that he wouldn't make a scene.

"Matt, don't start," Maria commanded.

For his part, Batista didn't pay any attention to his brother-in-law's snarky remark. He knew that Matt was being a prick as usual. This happened every time the brothers-in-law were in a room together, and it always drove Batista nuts. Though the men have known each other for a long time, they didn't necessarily see eye-to-eye, to say the least. It all stemmed from the fact that Matt never approved of Angie's choice for a husband or the way she got hitched. He always felt that Angie could find a more suitable mate. As the eldest brother, Matt exuded an authoritative persona. He felt obligated to be the man of the house, a father figure, if you will, for his three younger siblings. Sometimes, that was easier said than done.

If this was any other time in a different setting, Batista would have snapped Matt's neck in a second. But because he was in front of a small audience of family members and a doctor, Batista tried so hard not to exhibit the slightest impropriety toward his brother-in-law.

Regina was marveled at the way her brother-in-law was able to maintain his composure. Wearing a brick-red, buttoned-down shirt and black pantsuit, Batista kept fumbling his hands in his pockets. Masking any possible emotion as usual, Batista's jaw would clench every so often, making Regina automatically intimidated as she knew that one push would unleash his anger at any second. Batista had never unleashed his anger directly at his young sister-in-law, but Regina had sometimes felt that the safest way to stay away from his gargantuan presence was to concoct a lame excuse to do other things.

It wasn't until two years after living in Philadelphia that the Del Piero sisters met a young, tall, dark-haired Batista at the same time, when he and his mother Eleni moved into the same neighborhood from Washington, D.C. Like Maria, Eleni moved to provide a better, more stable life for her only son. In his early teens, Batista was considered a shy punk. He always kept to himself, but at times would get himself into trouble whenever anybody got in his way.

For some reason, Angie was smitten by the enigma of this new kid on the block. They were around the same age and hung out with the same group of people. As friends, Batista and Angie developed an instant chemistry. Both had secret crushes on one another, and it wasn't long after that, they would pursue a steady relationship. In the beginning, Regina referred to her brother-in-law as Goliath because of his muscular frame. Whenever "Goliath" came over to the house, Regina would always find an excuse to leave. She would often go to the library to study or volunteer.

Unfortunately, Regina had no excuse to hide when Eleni unexpectedly died of a heart attack when Batista was 17. Her dying wish was for her son to live a stable life with the Del Pieros. Indeed, Maria extended the olive branch to Batista when she offered him to move in with the family under the stipulation that he wouldn't sleep with Angie and he would graduate high school. Of course, the young couple was thrilled, but Maria's three other children were less than excited, but that didn't stop Batista and Angie from trying to live happily ever after.

Several years later in a waiting room at the medical examiner's office, Maria continued to extend that olive branch to Batista when she walked over and hugged the 32-year-old widower. Crying, Maria murmured words of comfort to her only son-in-law, saying that she loved him and that he would always be a member of the family. Again, Batista didn't unleash any emotions, but he warmly embraced his mother-in-law.

Watching that moment made Regina feel sorry for Batista. Sure, she was intimidated of the guy, but deep down he was a sad human being with incredible strength. In a way, Regina understood what he was going through. He was no perfect person, but he endured a lot of struggles in his life. Losing someone so dear to your heart is the hardest thing to live with. For Batista, losing his mother who gave him life and his wife who bore him two precious lives were heartbreaking. A part of you dies with them and there's nothing you can do to replace that void. The only thing keeping Angie's memory alive is their two babies. Regina thought about going over to Batista and giving him a hug, but quickly decided otherwise. What if he refused her? Again, Regina didn't want to be the subject of his anguish.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this moment, but I need someone to identify the deceased," the medical examiner chimed in.

Batista and Maria reluctantly broke off their embrace. The matriarch gently patted her son-in-law's cheeks. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him, her thick Italian accent relevant in every syllable. Batista nodded his head. He wasn't a man of many words, but he was always grateful of the fact that Maria always treated him like another son. A sign of reverence that he never took for granted.

"Then you go to her," she said.

Sans any gripe from Regina or her brothers, Batista followed the medical examiner passed the double-sided metal doors to the examining room. Once inside, Batista felt goosebumps as an eerie cold breeze swept passed his face that sent shivers up and down his spine. He could feel the hairs of his arms rise. The room looked sort-of spooky. It was somewhat dark with just an overhead light illuminating the rectangular table in the middle of the room.

Batista looked at the figure on the table. It was covered with a blue sheet. The figure was slender and short, similar to Angie's body configuration. He slowly walked over to the other side of the table, never taking his eyes off of the figure in front of him. He clenched his fists as tight as he could. He could feel his heart beating rapidly. His facial expression was, again, emotionless, but inside he was going nuts. His stomach was churning. His mind was racing. He was hoping, begging, pleading that the body in front of him wasn't Angie. This is just a nightmare, he thought. Just a downright, crazy nightmare. He repeatedly pleaded to God for him to wake up to such a farce. Thirteen years of marriage should not have to come down to this.

"Are you ready?" the medical examiner asked, braking Batista's mentality. Batista looked at the medical examiner and gave his approval with a single nod. Slowly with both hands, she pulled down the blue sheet, unveiling a rounded face of the female gender.

"Is this your wife?" the medical examiner asked, looking up at the young widower.

Batista didn't answer. He felt as if his heart stopped. He stared at the face, examining the features. Her medium chocolate brown hair was neatly straight with bangs covering her forehead. Her eyes looked super-glued shut. Her eyelashes were perfectly uniformed. That narrow nose, those small cheekbones, and those soft, thin lips. They were all too familiar to him. There wasn't a fragment of evidence on her face that indicated she was beaten down by oncoming car. The medical examiner must have done a pretty good job of cleaning her up. Angie didn't look dead, Batista thought. She looked like she was sleeping. She was so peaceful, so beautiful. In that very moment, Batista fell in love with her all over again.

"Sir?" the medical examiner interrupted again. "I need you to identify the body. Is this your wife?" Finally, Batista looked up at her in bewilderment. He was flabbergasted. The body? Angie was more than just a body. Angie was a beautiful life. She was a beautiful creature that touched the lives of many. And now that her life has abruptly ended, all that this figure is simply referred to now is the body?

"Yes." Batista enunciated sternly. "She is my wife."

As the medical examiner slowly began to pull the sheet back over Angie's face, Batista stopped her. "Wait," he said. "I want a few minutes alone with her."

The medical examiner looked at the widower for a moment and then peered down at the deceased. She sighed and finally gave in.

"OK, but I am going to allow you only for a few minutes. But then I have to let her immediate family see her too," she said. With that, the medical examiner grabbed a clipboard within her reach and walked out of the room.

After the door clicked shut, Batista focused his attention back to his wife. He didn't care how much time he had. He was sick and tired of being treated like an outsider. Batista was much a part of Angie's immediate family just like her mother and siblings. The staff would have to pry his massive figure out of the room when his "time" was up. Plus, he had been given permission from his mother-in-law to see Angie first and that was the only thing that counted. Nobody was going to tell him what to do. Not anymore.

For several minutes, Batista quietly stared at Angie's face. Even in death, Angie was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He crumpled down to the table, burying his face in the nook of her neck. He looked up at her face and gently placed his mouth over her forehead. He closed his eyes just like every other time he touched her. As Batista pressed his lips against the facial surface, he quickly pulled back. Something didn't feel right. For the first time, he felt an unusual sensation. Angie wasn't soft and warm anymore. Her body was blizzardly cold. Hard like a granite rock. Batista felt his throat well up with tears. His soul became numb to the core as reality had quickly set in.

His baby was gone forever.

No matter how many times he internally pleaded with God to perform some sort of miracle like taking his life away in exchange for hers, he had no other choice but was forced to face the music. Tough as he was on the outside, Batista couldn't control the mixture of traumatic emotions that emerged on the inside. Tears quickly rolled down his cheeks, but the young widower didn't bother wiping the conspicuous evidence of sadness off of his face. He grabbed a chair in the corner of the room and placed it beside the table. Batista sat down on the chair and laid his arm and head on Angie's stomach. As he rest his head, Batista's mind spun out of control with questions surrounding his wife's death.

"_Why baby_? Why did you have to leave me?" Batista sobbed. "What am I gonna do? _What am I gonna do without you_?"

To say that life without Angie would be a struggle would be an understatement, especially for a young professional wrestler who is away from home for more than 360 days out of the year. This was not to say that life was a breeze when Angie was alive. The separation between the young soulmates was indeed difficult. Like any other couple, they argued, but Batista and Angie were the type that enjoyed spending every waking moment together. They were each other's worlds. Though she was proud of her husband for realizing his dreams, Angie realized the hard way that the major role of the pro wrestler's wife was being alone, even though she did keep herself busy being a mother and working as a registered nurse at a local hospital. Batista admired her strength.

In return, Batista missed her and their babies terribly when he was on the road. He tried to make it up to her by calling her every day. Though he had cheated on Angie early in their marriage, Batista was a changed man after they renewed their vows in 1998. He always reassured her that she and their babies were number one in his life and forever irreplaceable. He would send a bouquet of pink tulips to their house every week. They were her favorite flora. It pained him when he had to miss some major milestones in his oldest daughter's life like her first steps and her first word, amazingly it was Dada. As a consolation, Angie would record their daughters' precious discoveries on camera so that when Batista would come home, he would see it too. He adored coming home to the loves of his life.

Batista was heartbroken at the fact that Carrie and Athena wouldn't know or remember their mother. In Batista's eyes, Angie was a wonderful, loving, and devoted mother. The girls were her pride and joy. To Angie, the girls symbolized the couple's undying love for each other. Angie was indeed the glue that kept the family together. With her gone, Batista would have to figure out a way to move on with his life and provide a stable and happy life for his daughters.

But right now, the future would have to be on hold temporarily. What was important was the present.

"Baby, I need you," Batista cried out, staring at Angie. "I need you so much!"

Never turning away his gaze, Batista rose from his chair and leaned down over Angie's face again. He planted small kisses around her face. He kissed her eyelids and then moved down her nose, her cheekbones, and her jaw. Then Batista focused his attention on the one feature he loved to kiss the most.

Her lips.

The young widower gently caressed them with his thumb. Like the rest of her body, the misty gray orifice was rigid. But Batista didn't care. He bent down again and gently placed his mouth over hers. He held his mouth there for several seconds, knowing that it would be the last time he would ever taste that bit of sweetness.

He reluctantly pulled away, but continued to gaze Angie so lovingly. Batista reached down and pulled out Angie's left hand from underneath the blue sheet. He took her hand and gently entwined it with his. Cupping the folded fingers with his free hand, he pulled it toward his mouth and kissed it. Batista started fondling her hand when he noticed something missing on her ring finger. Her engagement and wedding bands. The medical examiner must have taken them off when she was performing the autopsy. He looked around the room, but he couldn't find the jewels.

Still, Batista thought, his wife shouldn't be without her rings. Angie seldomly took them off. Batista glanced down at his own gold band. A light chuckle escaped his throat as he remembered Angie buying their wedding rings when they first eloped at the courthouse thirteen years ago. Batista's ring was too small that he had to wear the judge's ring during the ceremony. After the ceremony, he returned the ring to the judge and didn't get his own fitted ring back until a couple weeks later.

At this point, Batista was rotating his ring around his finger. He finally took the band off and examined the engraved message inside with his thumbs and forefingers. Inside the ring, it read: _With all my love, Angie_. Batista certainly didn't want to give his ring up. It was special to him, but he felt that a part of him needed to be with Angie. Batista closed his eyes and gently kissed the ring. He took Angie's hand. Batista could feel the tears welling up his eyes. He knew this was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry, baby," he choked back the tears. "I'm so sorry, baby."

Just as he was about to put his wedding band on Angie's finger, Batista felt a touch of warmth hovering over his hand.

"Don't do it," said a soft, whispery voice.

Batista looked up. His eyes widened as he gasped. He couldn't believe at who he saw.


	6. Chapter 6: I Walk Alone

**A/N: I want to warn my readers to have tissues ready when you read this chapter. This was so hard for me to write, and when I was finished, I literally had goosebumps! I apologize for making the chapter so long and so chock full of stuff.**

**I want to thank those of you who have read and followed the story so far. I want to give big shout-outs to **Esha Napoleon, DarkAngelElektra, **and **RKOsgirl92 **for reviewing the chapter. Also a big shout-out to **VolcomStoneBabe **for reviewing Chapter 4! You guys are fricken' AWESOME!!!! **

**As always, read, review, and enjoy!!!**

* * *

Chapter 6: I Walk Alone

Regina was towering over the Animal like an authoritative figurine. Regina's head had eclipsed the light, which ultimately made it difficult to see the solemn expression on her face or the reddish pigmentation in her eyes and nose from crying. She looked almost angelic as the remaining gleam played off like a halo around the perimeter of her face. With her chocolate brown hair center-parted and worn down to her bosoms, Regina looked surprisingly immaculate. She was dressed in a long, black buttoned-down winter coat with a carnation rose scarf loosely-wrapped around her neck. A dark pantsuit and black shoes complemented her attire. Batista could sense that Regina also felt the cold whiff of air in the room as her hands were snuggled comfortably in her coat pockets.

The grieving brother-in-law was too caught up in his emotions that he didn't hear the tacking footsteps creep into the examining room. Batista was surprised that his sister-in-law had the audacity to show her face. Sure, Regina was Angie's little sister, but this was supposed to be _his_ moment with his wife.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Batista's voice grew raw with emotion.

Regina tried her best not to flinch at her brother-in-law's forceful response. She was not about to let her constant intimidation of the Animal get the best of her. She had every right to be in the room just like him. Knowing that Batista would not budge himself away anytime soon, Regina wanted to show some support. It was the least that she could do for her brother-in-law during this difficult time. But as soon as she saw what was about to unfold, a shocked Regina had to take matters into her own hands.

"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life," she answered.

Batista was amazed at Regina's courage. The in-laws were seldomly in a room together. Just the two of them. It took a lot of guts for Regina to come into the examining room, Batista thought. Either that or she was forced by the family to come in and drag his carcass out of the room. Either way, Batista wasn't moving a muscle.

Deep down, Batista had no qualms with Regina. In fact, he was quite fond of her … in a sisterly fashion. Growing up, Regina was everybody's sister in the neighborhood. She was the only person in the family that managed to stay out of his path. As the baby of the clan, she was scary smart who always carried a book in her hand like a doll. She was also deathly shy, a trait that Batista could relate to. Angie had always reminded her husband to be easy on Regina, but the more Batista got to know her, the more she pulled back and he never understood why.

Another thing he didn't understand was what Regina meant by the term _mistake. "_And what would that mistake be exactly?" Batista egged on, a hint of cockiness unexpectedly escaped his throat.

Regina didn't want to stir up trouble with Batista. One push could easily land her in the emergency room, and she didn't want to risk that. She didn't want to interrogate Batista for what could have been a harmless act. Wedding rings are supposed to be a symbol of eternal love between spouses. Usually, it takes widows and widowers months or even years before they are strong enough to let go of the final reminder of their deceased soulmates. Others like Regina's mother never take it off because it's too painful.

Maybe Batista had a good reason of taking his ring off. "Angie wouldn't want you to give up your ring so soon," Regina continued.

"I'm not giving up my ring," Batista declared as he quickly put the gold band back on his left ring finger. "The medical examiner took Angie's rings away. I-I was just putting mine on her finger so that she won't be alone without it. She never took her rings off, so why now?"

Regina watched as Batista fondled the ring around his finger, taking it off and putting it back on as if it was a toy. The more he did it, the more it annoyed her. As she let it out a light sigh, she rolled her eyes. "Dave, her rings were covered in blood because of the accident," she explained. "The medical examiner had to do some DNA tests to see if the blood matched Angie's." She walked over to one end of the table, glancing down at the floor. "And they matched." Her voice was low enough that she didn't think Batista could hear her.

But Regina was proved wrong as she heard the chair screech back against the wall. Batista pushed himself to his feet, pacing a few steps toward her direction. Thanks to his much-elevated height, he was towering over her this time. Regina couldn't help but gulp. Her pulse was racing as he inched closer and closer. She tried to study Batista's expression, but as usual, he was emotionless. Why does this man have to be so damn mysterious? Still, she managed to stay calm as she bore her eyes into his. She took a couple of steps back, hoping to increase some distance between them.

But Batista's deliberate footsteps were catching up to her. Suddenly, Regina felt the edge of the counter bite into her back and stopped. She closed her eyes. Her breathing became heavier and faster. Her hands were starting to get clammy. She was afraid of what was going to happen next. She was scared of what Batista was going to do to her.

All of a sudden, the Animal let out a loud, husky chuckle. Regina's brow creased with confusion. "What's so funny?"

Batista stopped. He ran his fingers through his dark, moussed hair. "Nothing," His face turned serious. "It's just that I wonder how you know all of this, Einstein."

Contrary to her family's belief that Regina was smart because her nose was always dived in the books, most of her knowledge of certain things, particularly death, were based on experience."The medical examiner told us a few minutes ago. She said that she's going to give the rings to the funeral director when he picks up Angie's body," Regina explained again. "Then when he's done dressing her, he'll put the rings back on her finger for the funeral."

"Bullshit!" Batista angrily spouted. Sprinkles of saliva spewed out of his mouth and landed on Regina's cheeks. Dazed, Regina wiped the liquid remnants off her face. She made her way over to the body, still maintaining her distance from her brother-in-law. For his part, Batista massaged his forehead, hoping to ease the constant throbbing. Each bit of news he heard made his temperature boil. "They don't have the right to take the rings," he chanted. "I'm her husband. They should have asked me first."

Regina looked at Batista in disbelief. "They're just trying to do their job," she tried to reason with him. She pointed at the metal doors. "Look, if you don't believe me, go talk to the medical examiner. She's out in the hall right now."

At this point, Batista wasn't listening to a word she said. He stared at the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Arms folded, he leaned his massive body against the counter. His mind kept repeating the same questions over and over again. Hoping that in the nucleus of his brain, answers would come to light.

_What exactly happened at the scene of the accident?_

_Was she wearing a seat belt?_

_How did the perpetrator get away with only minor injuries while Angie suffered the consequences?_

Something about the accident just didn't make sense. The pieces to the puzzle just didn't quite add up, and there was one piece of information was missing. Batista couldn't put his finger on it. Angie was a careful driver, he thought. The more questions he processed, the more agitated he became. No need to make the Animal angrier than what he already was. One thing was for certain. Batista was going to get to the bottom of this, even if physical action had to be enforced. He wasn't going to do it for himself. He wasn't going to do it for Angie. He was going to do it for his babies. They had a right to know, albeit they were too young to understand. It would be a daunting task for Batista to tell his daughters what exactly happened to their mother on that fateful night on the interstate. Fortunately, he would have to wait several years before the time would come.

_People better stay out of my way_, the young father thought.

A hissing ruffle of the blue sheet snapped Batista back to reality. He looked up and saw Regina lift the cover up to see Angie's nude body. She took her sister's hand and placed it on her cheek. The touch was rock hard and cold. She looked wholesome, not a drop of scar or bruise on her scary white skin. She kissed the hand and gently placed it back down on the table. Tears streamed down the little sister's face.

"So why aren't you out in the hall with the family?" Batista asked, watching her performance unfold.

After wiping the tears off her cheeks once more, Regina pulled the blue sheet down, enough to cover Angie's arms, legs, and breasts. "I couldn't hear anymore of it. So I decided to come in here," she explained. She gazed down at Angie's exposed face. "I-I had to see her-."

Finishing her final thought proved to be hard as a gushing roar of emotion caught her throat, filling up the canals of her Adam's apple, and pouring out into the open air. Her heart plummeted at the sight of the snow white pigment on Angie's face. Regina tried to control the never-ending sadness, but it was too late. She quickly put her hand over her hand to muffle her wailings. _"Oh, God,"_ she cried. _"Oh, God!" _ For the next few minutes that was all the little sister could vent.

Batista made slow strides towards the table. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and extended it across the table. "Here, take this." The young sister-in-law looked up, somewhat surprised at Batista's gesture. Nonetheless, she took the white cloth from him. "Thank you," she muttered through her tears. She wiped the tears off her face and blew her nose … loudly!

Batista made a face after hearing the farting-like sound. "Um, you can keep that," he said, referring to the handkerchief. Minutes went by before Regina regained her composure. She then pulled a chair closer to the table and sat down. She continued to stare at Angie's face. "That son-of-a bitch is going to pay for what he did to her," Regina angrily chimed.

"He going to have a lot to pay when _I_ get to him," Batista declared. Regina glanced up at her brother-in-law. She felt a spark of intimidation crawl under her skin again as she began to think of all the possible implications over his last words.

Regina rose from her chair and walked over to the other side of the table to where he was. She placed her hand on Batista's shoulder, hoping to inject some comfort once more. The Animal sharply looked over, confused. Before he could even speak, Regina beat him to the punch. "Dave, I know you're angry. I know you're upset." Her voice trembled. She paused for a moment to collect himself. "We need each other right now," she whispered. "I want to help you. Please let-."

Batista turned to face her. The expression on his face wasn't quite what Regina had anticipated. She was so shocked that for a minute she didn't think she breathed. She had hoped the ounce of comfort would calm the Animal down, making him aware that there was somebody by his side. Instead, it was the opposite.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Batista's husky voice turned emotionless. He shoved her hand off his shoulder. Stubborn as he was, Batista was in no mood to be consoled. "What are you God? You want to make the world better?" Batista could see that every word he spat out, Regina's face sagged with fright. He could lower his tone and become more mellow, but the Animal was on a roll. His face was a mixture of pain and venom. It was as if his on-screen character was coming into play. "You see her?" Batista pointed at Angie's body. "She was my world. She was everything to me." His voice almost broke as he turned his head to that very subject. "And now she's dead. You want to help me? Bring her back," He glared back at Regina again. "Bring her back!"

Batista turned away from her, heading for the metal doors. But before he made his way out, the chilly widower stared back at his frightened sister-in-law without compassion and delivered one last nail-biting statement: "Do me a favor and keep doing what you do best," he paused. "Stay out of my way."

With that, Batista pushed back the metal doors and walked out into the hallway. As soon as she heard this, Regina's face crumpled even further in disbelief. She felt her lower lip quivering. Hot tears burned down both sides of her cheeks. As she weeped away, Regina couldn't shake off the vivid memory of the destructive Animal. The venom on his face, the raw emotion in his voice, the pent-up rage in his massive specimen. All she wanted to do was support him. Be there for him in this time of need. That's not so bad, right? All he did was simply reject her. He scolded her.

Regina couldn't move at first. She felt numb. She looked over at the glowing sight of Angie's body. She walked over to the table. Leaning down, the little sister kissed her forehead. Reality had suddenly set in as Regina's body was shaking with sobs. "All I wanted to do was reach out to him, Angie," she sobbed, caressing her sister's face. "How am I going to get through this? How?"

As Regina rested her head on Angie's shoulder, she closed her eyes. She prayed that somewhere in the heavens above, her older sister could hear her and could provide her with some sort of strength, some sort of answer, some sort of miracle that could help Regina move on from this nightmare.

* * *

Batista pushed through the metal doors, storming down the hallway. The pulsating sound of loud footsteps echoed down the long corridor. As much as it agonized him to leave his deceased wife behind and to identify her body, Batista was relieved to have an ounce of weight lifted off him.

He could have stayed there just a little while longer. There were so many things he wanted to say to Angie. He wanted to apologize to her for the times he was an imperfect husband. He wanted to tell her once more how much he loved and missed her, hoping that Angie would hear it in heaven. Batista wanted to be alone with her just one last time.

But then Regina had to come into the room and ruin a perfectly, poignant moment. _What did she have to bother him?_ Of all the times, why did his sister-in-law have to stand in his way? Batista could still see the Regina's horrified reaction in his mind's eye when he uttered his final words.

_Stay out of my way._

He questioned himself on whether he was too hard on her. _No…_he silently corrected himself. _I did what I had to do. Regina had no business being there._

Plus, there were other times to say goodbye privately, and the funeral was a few days away.

As his thoughts were bouncing off his thick skull, Batista grew frustrated as he still was searching for more answers concerning Angie's accident. He veered to the right, and suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a cacophony of voices in the nearby waiting area. Those voices were too familiar to him. He glanced outside the window of the waiting area and saw his brothers-in-law Matt and Nate speaking with the medical examiner. Too distraught to participate in what looked like a deep discussion, Maria was sitting in one of the chair, sobbing. A police officer was also in the room, talking to the men and the medical examiner.

"There was no way we could have saved her," stated the medical examiner.

"What do you mean?" Batista asked as he entered into the room. Everyone looked up at him. Maria rose to her feet and ran up to her son-in-law once more. She embraced him tightly and apologized to him over and over again through her cries. "What's going on here?" he asked again.

The police officer walked over to his direction. "Mr. Bautista, I'm Chief John Mentzer from the Pennsylvania State Police. On behalf of the department, I am so sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and your family." The police chief extended his hand toward the widower. Batista returned the favor and shook his hand. "Thank you," he replied. "Did I hear correctly? You've reached a conclusion in my wife's case?"

"For the most part, but there are a few small details that we need to sort out," Chief Mentzer said as he looked behind Batista's shoulder. Batista couldn't help but turn around. Maria still couldn't stop crying in the background. As a grieving mother, she was in hysterics. Her wailings grew louder after exhaling each breath. Obviously, she must have learned some damaging new information or else she wouldn't act this way.

Chief Mentzer glanced at each of the sons with concern. "Can one of you-." He began to say.

Nate comprehended the police chief's query before he finished his thought. The younger son nodded and walked over to his mother. "Come on, Ma. Let's go outside and get you some water," He coaxed her.

After wiping her tears repeatedly, Maria shook her head. "No, no I'm fine. I want to go see Angie." With the help of her sons, she rose to her feet. Nate and Matt held their mother's hands as they started to leave the room.

"Here, let me take you to the body," uttered the medical examiner, guiding the family out to the hallway. The last word struck a chord with Maria as she bawled her eyes again. The wailing sound echoed down the corridor as they turned the corner.

Once they were out of sight, Chief Mentzer turned his attention to Batista. "Here, let's sit down." He gestured the massive-built widower to the empty chairs in front of them. The police chief pulled one of the chairs next to Batista's seat and sat down in front of the Animal.

Suddenly, Batista felt a sense of déjà vu. Not too long ago, he participated in this type of meeting.

_That day in the locker room with Vince McMahon. _The Animal remembered_. You growled at the Chairman for spouting the news of Angie's death. You called her cell phone, but she didn't pick up…_

Despite the fact that Batista yearned for more information, he wasn't so sure how he was going to digest it. "I know it's an understatement to say that your wife's death has really shocked your family," Chief Mentzer uttered. "Yeah." Batista nodded his head in agreement.

The Animal slouched his upper body, resting his big elbows on his lap, hands clasped together. "Officer, what have you found so far?" Batista was in no mood for insignificant chit-chat. He wanted to get to the bottom of this ordeal. Chief Mentzer let out a heavy sigh. "I had already explained this to your family." He began to say, maintaining eye contact to the widower. "We conducted an autopsy on your wife. And the results came back."

Batista creased his brow with confusion. An autopsy? Angie wasn't the culprit, she was the _victim. _"I don't know about investigation or anything, but why did you conduct an autopsy on Angie?" Batista asked. "It's part of our investigation so that we can determine what exactly happened at the scene of the crime," the chief explained. "Mr. Bautista, I have to ask. When was the last time you spoke to Angie?"

Batista didn't have to think long and hard about his last conversation with his wife. It was the night before the accident. The Animal was on the road with his Evolution buddies heading to the house show in Pittsburgh. The group had stopped at a diner near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to grab a bite to eat. While they were waiting for their food orders, Batista went outside for a minute to call his wife and talk to her for the umpteenth time. Angie was still in Philly at the time and was planning to leave the day after to go back to their luxurious home in New York. They discussed a variety of topics like work, kids, and each other…

"_I miss you so much, baby," Angie admitted. "I can't wait for you to come home."_

"_I miss you so much too. You have no idea," Batista answered tenderly. "It won't be long though."_

"_I don't know if I can wait a few more days," Angie said. _

"_It'll be here before you know it," the Animal reassured his wife. "Just promise me you'll be at the airport on time?"_

_Angie had giggled on the other end of the line. "I'll be there with bells on," she replied. "Besides, I got a big surprise with your name on it."_

_This time, Batista had smiled on the other end. "Ooo, what kind of surprise?" _

"_You'll just have to wait and see," Angie playfully teased. _

_Batista had looked over and saw the guys eating already. "Baby, I gotta go. My food just came. I gotta go eat before the guys eat my plate," The Animal hated ending the conversation with his wife. If it was for him, he would talk all day and night with her. "I'll see you very soon. I love you so much."_

"_I love you too. Have a safe trip," Angie said. _

"_You too, baby," Batista replied. "You too."_

"And that was it," Batista said to the officer, after explaining the last conversation with Angie. "Next day, I called her and left multiple messages. She didn't call me back."

Chief Mentzer paused for a moment. Before he could speak, he wet his mouth with his tongue. "Your wife's vehicle was the first one to be hit head-on. It spun around multiple times that it slammed into the median, which caused to her have severe head injuries. He stopped for a moment for the Animal to digest the information.

"Was she wearing a seat belt?" Batista inquired.

"Yes, she was," Chief Mentzer answered. "-but the impact of the accident on a highway was too strong for the seat belt to save her. She died instantly at the scene."

Batista kept quiet, only peering over at Chief Mentzer, who looked painfully serious. "Mr. Bautista, we discovered something about your wife in the autopsy report."

"What?" Batista anxiously asked.

And as he opened his mouth, his words dropped like a ton of bricks. "Your wife was pregnant at the time of the crash."

Batista widened his eyes. He stared at the officer in pure astonishment. The Animal tried to hide his facial expression, but he couldn't. All of a sudden, he found himself breathing heavily, almost panting. It didn't help that he had asthma, and unfortunately, he didn't carry along his inhaler. His head was throbbing. He felt dizzy, as if the wind knocked the living lights out of him. He tried opening his mouth, trying to uttering a word, a syllable, a sound. But nothing.

"The medical examiner discovered a dead fetus in her body. Since it was very early in her pregnancy, it was unclear to identify if it was a boy or a girl," Chief Mentzer continued. "She determined that your wife was approximately eight weeks along."

_Angie? Pregnant? _Batista tried to wrap his head around the sudden revelation. _My baby. _Then a light bulb turned on in his mind. He remembered what Angie said to him on the phone. _Her big surprise._

_She was going to tell me, _Batista said to himself. _She was going to tell me that we were going to be have a baby. _The young couple had talked about expanding their family.

It was bad finding out that the love of his life was gone forever, but a baby taken away from life too? It seemed surreal. Too cruel. One poor decision from a bastardly drunk driver changed the lives and hearts of many.

The Animal bowed his head, disguising any possible emotions from the chief. But he couldn't control his feelings anymore. He could feel the tears streaming down his face. Unbeknownst to him, his shoulders started shaking. It wasn't long until the Chief heard a muffled wail from the person in front of him. "Oh, God. No!" Batista's voice was raw with emotion, bawling like a baby He remained like that for a while, burying his face in his hands.

Chief Mentzer patted Batista's shoulder, repeating his condolences and offering some words of comfort. However, the officer could sense that the Animal didn't want to be comforted. After a couple of minutes, he felt it was best to leave the widower and father of two alone in his grief.

Before he went out the door, the chief stopped and abruptly turned around. "We're going to do the best we can to punish the culprit for what he did to your wife and unborn child." He bit his lip. "I'm so sorry for your loss." With that, he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

After the door clicked shut, Batista slowly raised his head and wiped his tears. He slowly rose to his feet and walked over to the window on the far side of the room. He looked out and saw a young mother walking and carrying her child over to her car in the parking lot. Tears starting falling down his cheeks again.

"Yeah," he muttered to himself. "Someone's going to be very sorry."


	7. Chapter 7: The Living and The Dead

**A/N: I know, I know it's been awhile since I've updated this story, but I promise you I have not forgotten about it! A lot has been going on with me, but the important thing is that I'm back!! This story is complex and the ride is going to get even bumpy in the future, so hold on to your seats, folks!**

**I want to take this opportunity to thank my fans! First and foremost, I want to give a HUGE shout-out to my best friend in whole wide world, Katelyn (a.k.a: DarkAngelElektra). She's the one who introduced me to FanFiction and has encouraged me to strive better in my writings. And I can't thank her enough. She's been so supportive whenever I've hit my writer's block. I am a HUGE fan of her stories, especially the Batista ones! So if you haven't read any of her 12 stories, you are definitely missing out! I would like to dedicate this NEW chapter to her. **

**I'd like to give a shout-out to **Esha Napoleon, RKOsgirl92, CerebralPrincess, and beautifultragedyxxx **for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are amazing!! Thank you so much for your support.**

**Okay, enough chit-chat! Read, review, and enjoy this chapter!!**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 7: The Living and The Dead

Regina snuck out of the medical examiner's office without notice. While scurrying down the hallway, she managed to take a glimpse inside the waiting room where she saw a large, massive figure standing near the window. His head was bowed.

Her heart went out for her brother-in-law. She cared about him deeply. As much as she wanted to offer more support, Regina remembered the words Batista said to her in the examining room.

_Stay out of my way. _

Maybe it's best, Regina thought. She knew exactly what he was going through. Like Batista, she didn't want to be consoled at the moment. After seeing Angie's body, her brain was clouded with even more confusion. She had to go somewhere where she could clear them all up. Somewhere she could find some answers on Angie's death. Somewhere other than home.

Center City was a bustling hub during the afternoon rush hour. Scores of taxis, SEPTA busses, and honking tractor trailers clogged heavy traffic flow. After walking four blocks to her place of destination, Regina wondered if she would ever find a taxi. Suddenly, she saw a bright, yellow taxi drop off a married couple about 20 yards away. Regina waved her hands and sprinted towards the awaiting vehicle. Fortunately, the taxi driver noticed and motioned for her to get in. Regina climbed in the taxi with ease. As she settled herself, the driver turned around and opened the gliding window that separated the back and front seats.

"Where to, maam?" the driver inquired.

"1700 Ritner Street, please," the young passenger answered.

* * *

"Thank you very much," Regina replied as she paid the driver for the eight-block ride.

"Do you need me to wait for you?" the driver asked.

Regina shook her head and smiled. "No, thank you. I'll be fine." With that, the driver nodded and then sped away down the narrow, one-way street. If Regina thought that she could escape the cold whiff of air in the examiner's office, she was wrong. The blustery, cold wind was heavily induced with force as Regina adjusted her blowing hair and scarf.

As she turned around to face the large building, she felt her spirit being drawn to the large marble columns. Maybe it was a guarantee that she would get some answers. It was the one building that, in the past, had given her strength and spiritual guidance. She had finally arrived at her place of destination.

Saint Monica Catholic Church.

Her family had worshipped there since emigrating to Philadelphia. The church was affiliated with a private school, where Regina and her siblings had graduated. She and her family were devout members of the church and were well-known by the congregation because of their involvement in many activities like spaghetti dinners and food drives.

Regina opened one of the large doors and entered the sanctuary. She looked around. The hall was somewhat dim and deathly quiet. There was something about this church that made Regina felt a sense of security every time she entered. It was if God welcomed the young martyr with open arms. On the other hand, it seemed she was the only person because the only sounds she heard were the tacking soles of her footsteps as she made her way down the aisle. But before she sat down, her attention span quickly focused on a glowing object. She turned and saw rows of brightly lit votive candles on the far side of the altar. In the Roman Catholic church, the candles are lit for prayer intentions. Without hesitation, Regina walked over to the other side and lit two candles. One for Angie, and another for her father. She bowed her head and silently prayed for the two lights in her life, who were now reunited in Heaven. Afterward, Regina looked up at the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As if the spirit made a uncanny connection with her soul, its sight made Regina's heart sunk and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Please," Regina tearfully said to the statue. "Please take care of my sister and my father for me." She could feel the tears streaming down her face. "I miss them so much. Please protect them at all costs. Please protect my family…" Her voice quivered. "…and my girls." With that, Regina covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

The young Catholic was too caught up in her sorrow that she jumped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. "God will protect your family," said an elderly man from behind. Startled, Regina quickly turned around and saw the man in a black robe. Her nerves subsided when she realized who it was.

"Father Frank?" she wiped away the excess tears with her hands. She didn't hear the gray-haired pastor of the church coming in. She was glad to see him though. "I'm sorry, Father, but I thought I was the only one here. You kinda scared me."

Father Frank lightly chuckled. "I'm sorry I did that. I didn't mean to," his husky, robust voice echoed from all four corners of the church. "I was in the back putting something away, and I was getting ready to leave when I heard a voice out here. I wanted to see who it was. I'm not surprised that it was you."

"So I'm guessing you know about Angie," Regina murmured, her face turned serious.

The gray-haired pastor let out a light sigh. "Unfortunately, I do. It's a terrible, terrible thing," He nodded in discontent. "I am so sorry for your loss."

Regina felt a gush of emotion formulating in her system. She tried hard to suppress it. "You know, the reason I came here was to get some answers. I have so many questions. I want to know why. Why did she have to die? Why now?" Her quivering voice augmented in volume. "Why didn't it have to happen again? What did we do wrong to deserve this?"

Father Frank extended his hand. "Come on, let's sit down and talk." He accompanied Regina to one of the mahogany pews. "It's normal to have lots of questions. You came to the right place." He sat down next to Regina. "Death is an unfortunate circumstance, but it's part of the circle of life. First, you are born into the world, then you live, and then you enter into eternal life."

"I know about the circle of life, Father," Regina countered. "Mom always says we are here on a journey. What I don't understand is … why did it have to happen so soon?"

"We are all God's children, Regina. In the end, we all have to go to Heaven at some point," Father Frank tried to explain. "Your sister was a wonderful girl. She was so full of life, full of spirit. Even though, you may not see her or hear her every day. Her spirit is alive. Her spirit will continue to live forever."

As Father Frank tried to make light of the situation, Regina found it hard to digest his words. "I don't know about this time around, Father." She shook her head. "My family's been through so much. I mean, I was Carrie's age when my father died, and it still hurts to this day," Her voice cracked with emotion. She squeezed her eyes shut. "And now history is repeating itself. My little nieces lost their mother, and they won't have one memory of her, just like I don't have one vivid memory of my father!"

"How's Dave doing?" Father Frank asked.

"He's not good," Regina answered. "He's taking it hard like the rest of us. I've tried to reach out to him, but he doesn't want anything to do with me or anybody else. He growls whenever I approach him. It's like he wants to be left alone."

"Everybody has their own way of grieving," the pastor replied. "You just gotta give him some time. I'm sure he'll come around."

"I'm so worried about him, Father," she confessed. "I'm worried about my nieces. Who's going to take care of them?" Regina stared at the front of the altar. Her face grew more solemn. A slight pout surfaced on her lips. She shook her head in dismay. "I don't think…" She began to whisper softly. Father Frank could barely hear her. She hesitated, looking down for a moment. "I have a bad feeling that we won't be able to move on from this tragedy, especially after the funeral tomorrow." Regina looked up and faced the pastor. "Probably not ever."

Father Frank was a little shocked at the pessimism in Regina's voice. It was so unlike her. He tried to reason with her. "Regina, I am not going to lie to you. Angie's death is a tough pill to swallow. But if there's one thing certain about your family, it's that you all are very strong people. To be honest, Angie's death is not something you can get over. Like any other death, it's something that you have to live with for the rest of your life. With time, things will get easy."

As much as Father Frank's words were difficult to digest, Regina knew he was right.

"Losing a dear loved one is the hardest thing a person has to endure," Father Frank held up his index finger to indicate a point. "Like I said to you before, their bodies may be dead, but Angie's spirit and your father's spirit are very much alive …" He pointed towards Regina's heart. "…in you."

Regina nodded in agreement. "I know."

"You know even though Angie is dead, Carrie and Athena are the luckiest girls in the world," Father Frank smiled.

"Why?" Regina looked at the pastor in bewilderment.

"Because now, they truly have a guardian angel watching down on them," Father Frank replied. "And Angie's resting in peace knowing that her devoted sister will protect them and will never lose sight on the spirit that lives within her."

This time, Regina did smile. She was flattered by her pastor's remarks. "Thank you, Father." She was still upset about Angie's death, and tomorrow's funeral would be the toughest day of her life. But if what Father Frank said was true, Regina hoped that Angie's spirit would give her the confidence to get through the day tomorrow.

Regina looked down at her watch. It was getting late. "I should get going or else my family will get worried." She packed up her things. As she stood up, Father Frank took hold of her hand. "Before you go, let me say a prayer for you." Regina looked down and nodded. She sat back down, and the gray-haired pastor closed his eyes and placed his hands on Regina's head. He whispered a short prayer. Afterwards, both of them did the sign of the cross. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Father," Regina replied as she stood up.

"Have a good night, Regina," Father Frank nodded. "I will keep you and your family in my prayers."

The pastor watched Regina as she walked up the aisle and out of the church. When the door clicked shut, Father Frank turned to face the front of the altar. He lowered the leathery kneeler below and knelt down. With his hands clasped together, he stared at the cross. After reciting the Our Father and the Hail Mary, the pastor uttered the following prayer on behalf of the Del Piero and Bautista families:

_Merciful Father, hear our prayer and console us. _

_As we renew our faith in your Son,_

_Whom you raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all of our departed brothers and sisters will share in his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,_

_One God, forever and ever._

_Amen._

_

* * *

  
_

"I-I'm confused. What do these numbers mean?" Batista asked, holding a thick packet of white documents in hand.

Inquisitive to get to the bottom on the exact cause of Angie's death, Batista received a call on his cell phone from Chief Mentzer regarding new information on his wife's case. Feeling the need for speed, the massive widower raced out of the medical examiner's office and arrived at the police station in less than ten minutes. Chief Mentzer escorted him to one of the interrogation rooms and handed him a packet containing a list of phone numbers.

"These are the phone numbers that were called and received in the past month on your wife's cell phone," Chief Mentzer explained. "Each number listed contains the date and time of when it was received."

Batista skimmed through the pages of the documents. He noticed that most of the phone numbers were from out of town. In fact, most of them had different area codes from different states, including a 213 area code from Los Angeles and a 704 area code from Charlotte, North Carolina. Batista understood the reason. Whenever he got back to his hotel room after his matches, he would always call Angie using the room phone. "I don't understand. Most of these calls were from me. What does this have to do with,-"

Chief Mentzer interrupted him, "We have reason to believe that your wife _might_ have been distracted at the time of the crash."

"_WHAT_??" Batista looked at Chief Mentzer in astonishment. He couldn't believe the police chief's assumption. He was crazy for coming up with such a far-fetched concept. "What do you mean by _distracted_?"

The police chief pulled up a chair and sat down next to the young widower. He took the packet from Batista and flipped it over to the last page. Batista recognized the date at the top of the page.

It was the day that Angie died. That day would be etched in his memory for the rest of his life. Batista felt a little overwhelmed. He still didn't know where the police chief was going with his observation. He looked down at the sheet. There were ten calls received that day. Batista had called his wife seven times. Angie had received another call from her work, and there were two more calls from the 215 area code.

"We think your wife was talking on her cell when the accident happened," the police chief explained. "Our investigation indicates that the crash occurred between 8:10 and 8:15 that night. As you can see..." He pointed to the sheet. "…the last two calls were received prior to that."

Batista examined the last two calls Angie received. "It says here that the first call occurred around ten to eight," he said.

Chief Mentzer nodded. "That's correct. And that call was quickly lost, but a second call to your wife's phone was made five minutes later … by the same number. That call lasted ten minutes. We found Angie's cell phone in the car. The phone was still open." He looked at the young widower for some answers. "Do you recognize this number?"

Batista stared at the number in front of him. His heart sank. His facial expression turned to a complete halt, almost emotionless. He knew very well whose number it was, but he wished it wasn't true. He glanced over at Chief Mentzer and nodded. "It's my sister-in-law's."

He glanced down at the number again. Though he wasn't showing any expression on the outside, a burst of anger ripped through his insides. A volcanic eruption hot fury boiling in his veins coupled with sharp, agonizing pain that was tearing his heart to pieces. His thoughts were pounding against his skull like metal chairs. He was trying to make sense out of this whole new information.

"Do you mean to tell me that even though this was a head-on crash, Angie and the baby could still be alive had she not been on the phone?" Batista demanded, his tone was brusque.

"There would have been a small chance, but possibly," the police chief responded.

Batista tried to wrap his head around the fact that Regina was the last person Angie talked to before she died. He knew that the sisters were close, but he couldn't figure out what was worse: that Regina called her sister or that she had put her sister's life in danger.

_No…_ he thought to himself. _Worse is the fact that Regina killed her sister. That one call killed Angie and my baby. She robbed me of another chance of happiness. She took away my life. I told her to stay out of my way, but she wouldn't listen._

Batista shot up from his seat, grabbed his leather jacket and bolted out of the interrogation room. Chief Mentzer called after him. "Mr. Bautista…_Mr. Bautista!"_ But Batista paid no attention. He didn't want to listen any more gory details about the crash. He was too heartbroken, too angry. In his mind, there were two people who killed Angie. If the police was going to deal with the drunk driver, then he was going to deal with Regina.

Batista pushed through the police station door, storming out into the dark night. The wind brought a deafening icy breeze in the air, which complemented the Animal's heart at this point. He veered to the right and walked down the sidewalk to his car. While walking, Batista kept repeating the same phrase over and over again.

_She's going to pay for this. _


	8. Chapter 8: Angie's Funeral Part 1

**A/N: To my fellow readers, you asked me to post the next chapter as soon as possible and I did just that! I have to apologize though because this isn't the best chapter I've written. This is probably the sappiest chapter I've written so far, but I was inspired by a clip from a classic television drama that I recently saw on YouTube, and I had to put my spin on it in this story.**

**To **Esha Napoleon, Kellia Girl, DarkAngelElektra, VolcomStoneBabe, and RKOsgirl92, **thank you so much for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! You guys fricken ROCK!! Read, review, and enjoy Chapter 8!! :)**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 8: Angie's Funeral (Part 1)

It was a little after midnight when Batista finally returned to his mother-in-law's house. After leaving the police station, the young widower drove around the city for a while before making a pit stop at a local bar and drowning his sorrows in vodka. By the time Batista was almost three sheets to the wind, one of the male bartenders offered to call a taxi to take him home, but he convinced the guy that he was able to get home on his own.

The house was dark and quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was asleep when the Animal opened the front door. It was a good thing too because he didn't feel like answering to anyone on his whereabouts. He moaned. His head throbbed like a seismic earthquake. Batista walked over to the kitchen to grab an aspirin and a glass of water. In total, he gulped down ten glasses of the liquid before he felt ready to go upstairs.

The two-story rowhome mostly contained wooden floors that rattled and creaked at certain spots. Batista was very careful of where he placed his feet on the steps. He turned on the lights in the corridor. The door to the guest room was ajar. As he pushed it open, the door made a slight creaking sound, but fortunately it didn't wake up the occupants in the room.

He turned out the light in the corridor and turned on the lamp that was on the dresser. He looked up, his expression softened when he saw his daughters. They were sound asleep. Carrie was lying on the sofa that rolled out into a bed, and baby Athena was beside the bed in her little bassinet. They were his little sleeping beauties.

Batista closed the door, when he heard ruffling of the sheets. "Daddy?" asked Carrie. She turned over to face her father and rubbed her eyes. The young father walked over to the other side of the bed and knelt down, taking Carrie's hand and cupping it to his own. Carrie scooted over to be closer to her father. "Hi, sweetie," he gently whispered, hoping not to wake up Athena. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep."

"Daddy, can I ask you something?" the three-year-old politely asked. Batista let out a light chuckle and caressed his daughter's forehead. "Well sure, honey, you can ask me anything." He was well aware that Carrie was getting to the age where curiosity was a hobby.

"Is it true about Mommy?"

Batista paused and looked away for a bit before confirming, "Yes." It killed him to break his little girl's heart.

"Aunt Regina said that Mommy went to Heaven to take care of Buddy," the little tyke replied.

Batista briefly creased his brows in confusion and glanced over at his daughter, "Who's Buddy?"

"Mrs. Canuso's dog. Don't you remember?" Carrie wondered.

"Oh, yes, yes. Of course, I remember," Batista nodded his head. Apparently, Regina wasted no time to explain to his child about the afterlife. He had no choice but to concur with his sister-in-law's reasoning, as much as she irritated him at the moment. He tried not to show it in front of his daughter.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Carrie said, sadly. "I loved Mommy a lot."

"So did I, baby," Batista fondly answered, trying really hard to be strong. "I miss her so much. I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

"You still got me … and Athena," Carrie reassured her father. "We'll never leave you." Suddenly, Batista became overwhelmed with his daughter's response. At three-years-old, Carrie was being so iron strong for her father, when it should have been the other way around. She was spitting image of Angie inside and out. Batista couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. "I know that, sweetie. I promise you I'll never leave you and your sister. Ever. We'll get through this together."

"I'll help you," Carrie saw the unhappiness on Batista's face. She slowly reached up and wiped the tears away with her little hands. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted to make you feel better," she murmured to him sadly.

Batista smiled, his features filled with the love and tenderness that made his little girl smile as well. "And you did … just being with you makes me feel better."

"Maybe I don't have to go to preschool. Maybe I can go to work with you. We could travel the country together," Carrie offered some advice. She missed him terribly when he was on the road. When he was home, she had him wrapped around her little finger.

Batista made a light chuckle again. As much he wanted that chance, he, unfortunately, knew it couldn't be possible. Being surrounded bulky wrestlers who beat each other up in a square ring is not defined as a child's playground.

"Maybe," Batista didn't want to discourage the child's spirits. He placed his arm over Carrie's stomach for comfort. "…because you are all I got. I don't know what would happen to me if I didn't have you and Athena."

"Daddy, can you lay down with me for a while?" the little tyke asked.

"Sure, I'd love to," Batista replied. With that, Carrie scooted over to her left leaving some room for the Animal to lie down on the bed. Batista stood up and turned off the lamp. He then laid down and rested his left arm on the pillow and cuddled with his oldest daughter. "Now get some sleep."

"Daddy," Carrie whispered as she wrapped her little arm around his neck. "I love you."

Batista smiled and held his little angel tight as she drifted off into sleep. "I love you, too," he answered, hoping that she heard it in her sweet dreams.

* * *

The day finally arrived.

Though the morning clouds may have cleared away for some sunshine to melt the big clumps of snow, today was not going to be a good day. Pissed off and depressed, today was not a good day to stand in the Animal's way.

With all the commotion occurring downstairs, Batista was lucky enough to have some solitude while getting ready in the upstairs guest room of his mother-in-law's house. He couldn't sleep a wink last night. Thoughts kept circulating his mind on the bombshell he acquired at the police station.

_Angie could have been alive had she not have been on the phone with Regina. _

It was because of her that his wife is dead. It was all her fault. Why did she have to call twice? What did they talk about? Sure if they had talked, Angie must have told her the joyous news of her pregnancy. Right? Batista couldn't wait to confront Regina with this new piece of information. All night long, he tried to come up with ways to get back at her. Intentional or not, Regina played a part in her sister's death, and Batista wasn't going to let her forget it. He was going to make her suffer just like he and his daughters would be for the rest of their lives. But he had to plan his actions carefully. He would have to choose the right time and place to confront her.

Batista was standing in front of a mirror straightening his tie when a soft coo in the background broke off his demonic concentration. He smiled. He loved that sound. Only a few things could warm his heart in an instant. And one of them was wide awake in her little bassinet.

Batista turned around and walked over to the bassinet beside the bed. He gently picked Athena up and cradled her in his arms. He dipped his head and gently kissed her forehead. Athena cooed again and reached up to him. Batista made out a light chuckle and took her tiny hand and kissed it. "You like that, don't you? You like it when Daddy kisses you."

He loved being affectionate and having little conversations with his baby daughter. She's too young to understand even the slightest things, but just looking at Athena's face made Batista temporarily forget all the drama. The genuine feeling of holding his baby in his arms melted his heart. Moments like this made the young father realize what was really important in life. It didn't matter if he was the enforcer of a dominant stable in a successful sports entertainment company. It didn't matter how many guys he beat up in a week through the cheers and jeers and under the bright lights. Batista wished he could freeze time so that he could forever enjoy this very precious moment.

Thanks to his grueling schedule on the road, being away from his daughters was the one thing Batista despised the most. Angie was a saint when it came to parenthood. He could always depend on his wife on his children's well-being. Whenever he was home, Batista successfully morphed into his role as the devoted husband and father. He was very hands-on when it came to changing diapers and feeding the babies.

Now it's just the three of them.

Batista sat down on the edge of the bed and gently rocked Athena. A part of him wished he was young again like his children. Oblivious to all the drama surrounding Angie's death. "Things have been kinda crazy these past couple of days. I wonder if you have any idea what is going on here," Batista gently murmured to his baby. "Today is a very, very sad day. We're going to say goodbye to _Mommy_." His soft, husky voice almost cracked with emotion. "Mommy had a very bad accident and went up to Heaven. I don't know if I can be strong, baby. I miss her so much. I would give anything to have her here." Batista stared into the dark brown depths of Athena's eyes and gently took hold of her hands. "I don't want to hurt anybody, baby, but I'm so angry. How could they take Mommy away from us? How could they take Mommy away from my babies?" Cooing Athena studied her father's face.

"You won't remember your mommy, but Mommy _loved _you. She loved you and Carrie very much. I loved her too. God, I loved her so much." Batista felt a gush of emotion roaring in his insides. His eyes were filled up with tears ready to pour down his face. He didn't bother to suppress them.

"I wasn't a very good person to Mommy in the past. I did some stupid things to her. Things I never should have done. I hope she knows how sorry I am," Batista tearfully referred to his extramarital excursions that occurred early in his marriage. "And I am so sorry for you and your sister. I know I am not the kind of daddy you asked for. I know I'm not around a lot because of my job, but that doesn't mean that I love you any less. In fact, my love for you and Carrie grows every day. You are one of my greatest blessings, and I love you so much."

The young father made a tearful promise to his baby girl. While gently stroking Athena's head full of black hair, he uttered: "You don't have to worry about anything because Daddy's right here. I promise you I'm going to protect you and your sister from anything bad. I am going to tell you lots of stories about Mommy so that you know what she was like. And you can ask me any questions about Mommy too."

Batista's warm facial expression immediately trickled into one of concern. Who was going to take care of Carrie and Athena? Without Angie, he would have to find a guardian to take care of his kids when he went back to work. It would have to be someone who he could trust. Someone who shared the same love and affection for young children like his daughters.

But who?


	9. Chapter 9: Angie's Funeral Part 2

**A/N: I am so excited on how this story is building up. Don't worry, my fellow readers, we are not even close to the climax. But I will say that if you enjoy the suspense, drama and sweet parts so far in this story ... STAY TUNED!! :) I'd like to thank **DarkAngelElektra, Esha Napoleon, Kellia Girl, VolcomStoneBabe, **and **RKOsgirl92 **for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are fricken amazing and I love you all!! I also want to wish everyone a Happy Easter! So without further ado, read on, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 9: Angie's Funeral (Part 2)

The funeral had gathered throngs of people from all walks of life.

Distant relatives. Longtime friends and acquaintances.

Even some wrestlers and staff from OVW and the WWE, including Vince McMahon and his family, came to pay their respects. Angie's mahogany casket was adorned with colorful bouquets of tulips and chrysanthemums – her favorite flowers. Inside the casket, Angie looked comfortably peaceful as though she was sleeping. The corpse was dressed in a dark grey suit with a white, buttoned-down blouse. Angie's hands were clasped together with a red-beaded rosary. The masses of people that filed in to the funeral home and church to see the casket made it seem like a royal farewell rather than a simple service for a beloved, hometown girl.

Regina was overwhelmed by the big turnout. Most of these people she had seen for the very first time. Though she didn't recognize them when they shook her hand in the receiving line, all of the visitors had thing in common: Angie was loved by all. That was the theme Regina stressed near the end of the service when she delivered the eulogy. She remembered Father Frank's advice to her the night before, and she hoped that the congregation would take it to heart.

Delivering a heartfelt speech in front of a big crowd can be an overwhelming experience to say the least, but this wasn't the first time Regina had spoken in front of an audience. She has served as the lector for Sunday masses and delivered the valedictory speech at her graduation ceremony. However, the somber atmosphere in the church brought unsuspecting feeling in Regina's gut. She didn't think she was going to make it through her eulogy. Keeping herself in check, Regina had crossed her legs and tightly gripped the podium so that she wouldn't faint. With poise, dignity, and her remaining strength, the younger sister accomplished the task and was overwhelmed by the standing ovation that followed.

Almost everyone standing had been either crying or smiling at Regina. Except for one.

When Regina returned to her seat, she noticed Batista neither smiled nor applauded. He sat there, glaring at her. His dark brown eyes were filled with malice and hate. She froze for a moment. Though she was standing in front of the statue of Jesus Christ, she had never felt more scared. It irked her to pieces. Nobody had ever given her that look before. She didn't quite understand what his problem was with her. What could have she done wrong? She tried to steer clear from him throughout the day that she sat on the other end of the pew. Far enough away that he wouldn't do anything to her.

She wasn't sure how long this was going to last.

The sounds of glasses clattering and people chattering steered Regina to the present. The mood had turned somewhat bright. She shook her head, clearing out any negative thoughts. Looking up at the easel that contained pictures of Angie throughout the years, Regina realized where she was. After the funeral services, family and friends were invited to a small reception at a local Italian restaurant near the church. This was a time for people to unwind and converse with one another with food and drinks. While the ladies sat at the various tables eating ice cream cakes and biscotti, most of the men hogged the open bar that was situated at the far end of the room.

"You did well this morning," uttered a deep, husky voice from behind.

It startled Regina a little, but she managed to turn around to see a dark-haired, young gentleman smiling at her. He had the smirk of a salesman, she thought. Cocky, yet intriguing. The gentleman was immaculately dressed, donning a dark blue suit and a black tie. His dark brown hair was slightly gelled, exposing some bangs. Regina found herself staring at his chest and forearms. She was amazed that beneath the suit, he was buffed and not to mention very good-looking. A hint of blush crossed her face. She had never met anybody like him before.

Regina immediately cleared her throat, trying to maintain her focus in the present again. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" She pretended not to listen. For his part, the young gentleman seemed to blush as well. He glanced down and smiled. "The eulogy that you delivered today … it was beautiful."

Now it was Regina's turn to smile. "Oh," she blushed again. "Thank you." She didn't know why, but there was something about his voice that was mysterious, yet intriguing.

"I should introduce myself. I'm Randy," he extended his hand. "Randy Orton. I'm one of Dave's friends."

Regina shook his hand. She was marveled of how firm and large it was and how it covered hers. "I'm Regina."

Randy displayed his signature smile again, the kind that would attract young female darlings to his beckon call. "Nice to meet you, Regina. I've heard so much about you."

Regina's eyelids opened a little wider in shock. "Um, really?" She quickly peered over to the open bar and noticed Batista guzzling down some kind of alcoholic substance in his system. Certainly, Randy must have heard about her through her brother-in-law. Whatever comments he said about her were most likely biased and false. She turned her attention back to Randy, who was tenderly staring at her.

"Well, don't believe everything you hear," Regina quickly defended herself. "I'm not who you think I am."

"So, you're not a talented artist with a heart of gold?" Randy inquired. He did his best imitating The Rock by raising one of his eyebrows.

"Dave said that about me?" Regina wondered. Is it possible that the Animal does have an ounce of respect for her?

Randy shook his head and lightly chuckled. "No, it was Angie. She was a sweet girl."

"Yes, she was," Regina nodded her head in agreement. "Exactly how did you know my sister?"

"I met her when me and Dave were training at OVW," he referred to the Kentucky developmental center for rookies. "She used to sing the national anthem before every show. She was an amazing singer. I mean, she brought the house down."

Regina smiled and nodded. Angie was indeed a wonderful singer. People always praised it saying her ability was a soulful mixture of Faith Hill and Whitney Houston. Regina never got tired of hearing her sister's melodic voice. In fact, just thinking about it made the younger sister a little teary-eyed knowing that she would never be able to hear her voice again.

Randy must have picked up on her facial expression because Regina felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, lightly pulling her toward him. The feeling made her calm down like she was being protected.

"I'm sorry to make you cry again. This must be really hard on you." As soon Randy uttered the last sentence, he wanted to kick himself so hard.

_Way to go, asshole. Way to act stupid in front of a good-looking girl, _he thought. _Of course this is hard on her. She's fucking torn apart. She lost her sister! _

Randy couldn't help but start to feel attracted to Regina. Maybe a little crush? He knew it was too premature, but the fact of the matter was that there was something fascinating about her. She was much different from the other girls he has met on the road. In addition to being attractive, she was very genuinely sweet and strong. It warmed his heart. He wished he could do something to help her. Something to turn the frown upside down. Picking up a girl at a funeral is an illogical idea, but he had a feeling that this wasn't going to be their last encounter.

Regina wiped the tears from her eyes, feeling embarrassed to cry in front of a gorgeous guy like Randy. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Believe me, I'm not a crybaby."

Randy laughed. "Don't worry, I never thought you were. You're doing just fine. It's ok to cry. I know if I lost my brother or sister, I would do the same thing." While speaking, Randy couldn't help but notice a strand of brown hair in front of Regina's face. He gently took the strand and tucked it behind her ear. Regina looked up at Randy. She was amazed that beneath that muscular frame, Randy was genuinely kind to her. She wished she could have met him at a different time and a different place rather than today.

"I-I should go and see how everybody else is doing," Regina collected herself again, taking a step back from Randy before anything went further. She extended her hand. "Thank you so much for coming."

Randy ignored her hand. Instead, he closed the gap between them and gave her a heartwarming hug. Regina reluctantly put his arms around him. "It was my pleasure," she heard him whisper in her ear. "I know we just met, but if you need anybody to talk to, I'm always here for you. OK?"

Regina nodded her head. She didn't want to let go, but Randy reluctantly broke apart their embrace. She faced him again and smiled. "I hope we meet again."

With that, Randy watched as Regina turned around and walked away to greet other guests. He thought about the chance of seeing her again. His lips creased into a smile.

"Likewise."

* * *

Batista took a final swig of his beer. He had set the empty bottle down on the counter. He savored every bit of the malt in his mouth before swallowing. _That hit the spot, _he thought.

Batista hadn't left the open bar since he arrived at the restaurant. After enduring a rollercoaster series of events in the past few days, he needed something to quell the nerves, and alcohol was his answer. He must have drank about four bottles of beer because he was starting to get really tipsy. His head was spinning like a pinwheel. Laughter and chatter in the reception room didn't help the pain or the headache go away. In fact, it made it much worse. He tried to ignore the people who approached him to extend their condolences. He would put his hands over his face and pretend to be emotional, when in reality he really wanted to be left alone.

Sure, the funeral service was nice. Angie was dressed in her truest form. Like an angel. He was overcome with so much emotion when the funeral director closed the casket for the last time that Batista almost knocked the poor guy to the ground and hovered his upper figure over his wife's body and sobbed uncontrollably. It took six guys, most of them wrestlers, to pry Batista's body away.

Emotions ran high during the services, but Batista was still pissed off at one person. _And soon, she will have to be dealt with_, he uttered under his breath. _We'd all wouldn't be here to say goodbye today if it she hadn't called the second time._

Batista scanned the room to find her. His eyes found her at the far side of the room, talking to Randy Orton. They were both smiling and hugging. He then saw Regina walk away and sat down at a table, pleasantly chatting away with some other people. This infuriated the Animal even more. He couldn't accept the light-heartedness in the room. He couldn't forgive and forget his wife's death. He couldn't smile and laugh like everything was going to back to normal because he knew very well that it wasn't.

Life without Angie was nothing. He lost everything the day he lost Angie. He felt empty, destitute inside. Half of his heart disappeared, and it would be a very long time until he would find that void again. Of course, Batista had his career and his girls. Because of Angie's death, his career is taking a back seat, and his girls were well taken care of by relatives. They are also young and probably won't remember this day.

Inside, Batista was alone. It was just him. Him … and the bottle. He stared at the empty bottle of beer on the counter. He was thirsty again.

"Bartender," he called out sternly, waving the empty bottle around. "Another one, please." The bartender frowned. Even though it was his job, the male server was hesitant to give him another drink. He noticed that Batista had one to many today, and one more could send him three sheets to the wind. He didn't want to make matters worse for the widower so he pretended not to listen and went about his business serving others.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Batista's husky voice shot up. A few people sitting at the bar and neighboring tables looked up, but the widower paid no attention to them. He stared at the man behind the counter.

The bartender reluctantly walked over to Batista. "May I help you?" he asked politely, although it may have sounded snarky from the other end.

"I want another bottle."

"Sir, I don't think it's such a good idea. You've already had too much to drink."

Batista's blood was now boiling. "Listen, string bean. This is the worst day of my life. I don't care how many I've had," his husky voice turned demonic. "Either you give me another beer or I will shove my fist down your throat."

The bartender gulped at the possibility if being beaten to a bloody pulp by a gargantuan like Batista. With quickness, he opened the small fridge door beneath the counter and grabbed an icy cold bottle of Molson. He flipped open the cap with a bottle opener and handed it to Batista.

"Thank you," he replied. "See? It wasn't so hard." He took another long swig of the liquid and gasped. _Yep, this definitely hits the spot. _

Minutes flew by, and Batista wasn't sure whether he was falling down the spiral of drunkenness or pure habit, but he was able to drown out the background noise of voices. He felt very loose and relaxed. It was almost like he didn't have an ounce of feeling in his body. Some people began to notice his unusual demeanor, but again Batista paid no attention. He enjoyed drinking his bottle every few seconds.

For a moment, life was good until he felt a strong slap on his shoulder. "Hey buddy, how are you holding up?"

Batista looked up. His vision became somewhat hazy. The alcohol was definitely kicking into high gear. However, he could tell by the massive figure behind the suit and the shoulder-length blond hair and beard that it was his fellow Evolution member and good friend, Triple H.

"Hey Hunter! Well, what do you know! Glad you could join me," Batista cheerfully said. His speech started slurring. "Want a beer? Hey barte-"

"No, that's ok. I'm fine," Triple H held his hand up and shook his head. "I don't drink."

Even though they had known each other for several months, both men respected each other. Batista considered Triple H more than just a friend. These past few months traveling on the road, the widower considered The Game as a brother and a mentor. In return, Triple H admired his friend's desire to be a top card performer and willing to take constructive criticism when needed. The men were lucky to be keep in touch outside the ring too. Both had a passion for bodybuilding. Batista and Angie were also guests at his and Stephanie McMahon's wedding last October.

"Where's Stephanie?" Batista took another swig from his bottle.

"She went to the ladies' room. We're going to leave in a few minutes," Triple H answered. "We're got a flight home in an hour."

"Well, whatever you do, Hunter, don't let her go," Batista drunkenly advised. He held his index finger up like he was instructing. "Because if you do, your life is going to turn upside down like mine." He held the bottle up to take another swig, but Triple H grabbed hold of it and set it down before it was able to touch his mouth. "I think you had enough for today."

Batista creased in brows. Immediately, he got upset. How could his best friend take yet another thing away from him? "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life."

Batista's eyes opened wide. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. From Triple H of all people, telling him what to do. In that instant, time seemed to slow down. All the alcohol he consumed made him dizzy. He started to get tense. He blocked out Triple H's voice from the background. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't get the last sentence out of his mind.

_Stopping him from making the biggest mistake of his life? _

Batista knew he heard it before, but he couldn't remember. Voices started clouding through his brain, weaving a tapestry of sound and memory. First, it came from Triple H…

_What the hell are you doing…._

_Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life._

He opened his eyes and noticed the shiny gold band on his left ring finger. As if reality slammed him against the wall, Batista realized where he first heard it.

_The examining room. Remember? I took my wedding band off. She stopped me. I asked her what was she doing here, and she told me…_

_Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life…_

_... biggest mistake of your life._

Regina's voice now circulated in Batista's mind. He couldn't get her voice out his head. The sound of loud laughter coming from the side table interrupted Batista's thoughts. He looked up and saw Regina laughing with a group of people. Batista became tense again to the point of no return. His heart was racing like the speed of lightning. He gritted his teeth in anger.

_Angie's dead and she's laughing. She's the big mistake, and she's going to pay for it. Big time!_

At this point, to say that Batista hated Regina was putting it mildly. If he was going to deal with her, the Animal had to act fast.

"Dave? Are you OK?" Triple H's face grew concerned as Batista got off his stool.

"I'm fine, Hunter. I just have some unfinished business to take care of," Batista was already halfway across the room before Triple H could say anything to stop his friend.

Anger and hatred had been pasted Batista's face that many people in the room whispered amongst themselves as to what bothered him.

More laughter had erupted at the side table that Regina was caught off guard when she heard a demonic husky voice bark:

"_What's so funny?"_


	10. Chapter 10: InLawful Confrontation

**Author's Note: This is by far the most vicious chapter I have ever written. It was so, so emotional for me to write it. Just to warn you, there's a lot of pandemonium going on. I promise you the story will get better further down the line. So if you're still interested in the story, I encourage you to read on! **

**A/A/N: I would to give HUGE shout-outs to my readers who reviewed the last chapter: **DarkAngelElektra, Kellia Girl, Esha Napoleon, xoxo olivia, wolfdemon22, RKOsgirl92, and CerebralPrincess. **You guys are fricken amazing fans! Your reviews have encouraged me to keep updating! I thank you so much! So without further ado, read, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 10: In-Lawful Confrontation

The laughter had quickly evaporated. Everyone at the side table, including Regina, looked up at the belligerent Batista, whose overbearing tone nearly downgraded the positive vibe in the restaurant. Nobody had said a word.

Batista didn't care about the attention he got, if any. In fact, more power to him if he did because now he would be able to prove to everyone that his lovely sister-in-law wasn't so _lovely _after all. He would finally put her in her place, and there would be no turning back. There would be no penance for the woman who killed his wife.

"What's so funny?" Batista despised having to repeat himself. His eyes were now locked on Regina.

The widower's gaze tormented Regina. The sight of such a demonic, ghoulish predator ready to eat a prey alive made Regina's heart pound faster. She had never seen Batista so angry before. Wrong, Regina thought. He was beyond angry. Wolfing down a gushful of beer couldn't have washed his misery away considering that her brother-in-law was one step away toward combustion. Still, she could not understand what the hell his problem was with her. For the past few days, she had obeyed his sole order to stay away from him. What more could he want from her? Scared shit, Regina still couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Her hands, clasped together on her lap, were clamming up. Her stomach rolled itself into many knots, making her want to vomit. She did not know how, but she was able to maintain a calm composure in front of the rabid Animal.

"We were just talking about Angie, Dave," Regina replied in her soft, whispery voice.

"And what the _fuck_ is so funny about _that_?" the Animal angrily barked. Folks at the table stayed quiet, turning their heads left and right as the in-laws bounced words at each other.

"Well nothing, we were just telling sharing funny memories about Angie. She was a great mimic," Regina explained. "Would _you_ like to join us?" She hoped extending the offer would quell the tension in the room.

But Batista was in no mood for laughs. Instead, he was ready to set his plan in motion. "I don't think so," he snarled, his voice a rumbling rasp. "In fact, I'd like to speak to you … _alone!" _Now, his gaze turned toward Regina's tablemates, who looked at one another in shock.

Before they could do anything, Batista charged over and grabbed Regina's upper arm. "Come on, you're coming with me." His large hands squeezed so hard she thought he was going to instantly break it in half. Regina stumbled out of her seat and shrieked by the pressure of his grip. "Hey, cut it out you're hurting me." She almost fell, but miraculously found her balance.

There was a mixture of Italian and English chattering in the background. People stopped what they were doing and focused their attention to the side table, but strangely nobody followed them. Regina never felt more embarrassed in her entire life. She followed Batista out of the reception room and into the hallway. She tried to keep up with his large, forceful strides. She tried to yank her arm away, but Batista's grip was strong. She became nervous of where he was taking her.

"Can you tell me what this is all about?" she asked, but Batista ignored her. They turned the corner, where Batista dragged her into an empty dining room. Still holding her by the arm, the Animal forcefully pulled a chair from a nearby table and yanked Regina onto the seat.

"_Sit!"_

Regina did so and gently touched her upper arm. Immediately, she felt sore. She gently flexed it around to ease off the pain, but it didn't work. She looked up at Batista, who was pacing unsteadily back and forth. Regina felt extremely uncomfortable being in a room alone with the drunken Animal. She wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She was scared what he was going to do to her. She wished somebody had followed them so she had some protection if she couldn't defend herself. One funeral was enough for today. Would somebody hear her if she started to cry or yell?

Batista stopped pacing. He was getting dizzy. At this point, the alcohol was already at work in his system, causing him to lean against the table for support. He managed to pull out another chair and plopped down across from Regina. They both locked eyes on one another again.

His with venom, hers with fear.

"What's your problem?" Regina finally asked the most burning question that was etched in her mind since the day he treated her like crap in the examining room.

For a few minutes, Batista uttered nothing. He continued to stare at her with no emotion. Then, he quickly shot up from his seat, charged over to her, and slapped his sister-in-law so hard that she almost fell out of her chair. He shouted in a dark, husky tone, _"You."_

Tears began to stream down Regina's cheeks. She gently clutched the right side of the cheek. It felt like it was on fire. She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to pull herself together. "Me? What are you talking about?"

"Today shouldn't have happened. We're all gathered here today because of you," Batista snarled again. He returned back to his seat.

"_What?"_

"I am asking the goddamn questions now _not you!" _Batista's signature tone augmented into a higher level. One that echoed around the room.

Regina could feel herself trembling in her seat. She realized that she wasn't sitting across from her brother-in-law anymore. She was now sitting across the devil. For the first time, she was glad that Angie wasn't alive to witness this horrific interrogation.

"Let me ask you something. Do you take great joy in laughing at other people's pain?" Batista spat out.

Regina shook her head profusely. "No…_no! _I'd never do that," she quickly retorted.

Batista gave out a raspy chuckle. He ran his fingers across his nostrils and on his black goatee. "That's funny because I distinctly saw you laughing at the table. My wife is dead, and you were laughing." He repeated the last phrase over and over again. "My wife is dead, and _you _were laughing. How do you think that makes me _feel_?"

"I told you why we were laughing. We were just recounting old stories. That's what Angie would have wanted … for all of us … to remember the good times," Regina cried. "I would _never_ laugh at my sister's death. Is that why you're mad? What kind of a person do you think I am?"

"_A cold, heartless BITCH!" _

Regina's eyes and mouth grew wide in terror. She shrank further in her seat. His satanic words hit Regina like heavy low blow. Nobody has ever called her _that_. Sure, she was not a saint, and she's made some mistakes, but she would never find anything humorous at a funeral, especially her sister's. Batista was out of line. Regina was speechless. She wanted to say something, but she was muffled by her tears. Looking at the corridor, she wished somebody from the other room came to her rescue, but unfortunately she didn't hear any footsteps. Silence seemed to be the best recourse as the alcoholic Animal let himself loose.

"Look at me," he growled under his breath. But Regina was too afraid to look up. She wanted to run away from him. "_I said LOOK AT ME!" _He quickly stood up and grabbed Regina by the hair so that they met eye-to-eye. Regina was in too much shock to scream or even cry out. Her face was drenched in tears.

"Don't play innocent with me. This whole day is your _fault_. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I lost everything today because of you," Batista spouted out. "When it all comes down to it, it wasn't that driver that killed Angie … it was _YOU!" _He finally let go of her hair. Regina was having trouble breathing between her sobs. She could hardly believe what she heard. _He's blaming me for Angie's death?_ She desperately needed a glass of water to control herself. Inside, she was screaming in agony, and she had a funny feeling that the worst was yet to come.

"_What did I do?!"_ she sobbed.

"You know exactly what you did!"

"_No I don't! … I swear!"_

"You were the last person Angie talked to before she died. You called her that night when she was driving home!" Batista exclaimed. He was on a roll. "First time you called her, the line went dead. But _no, _that didn't satisfy you. You had to call her again because you _had _to speak to her." Now Batista was fighting back tears. "And not long after you two hung up, she _died_! _Not only was she killed, but so was our baby!"_

Batista's constant accusations stung Regina's heart into pieces. Baby? Angie had never mentioned to Regina about another baby. Was she … no, she couldn't have been, she thought to herself. Angie had given birth to Athena three months ago. "She was pregnant again?" she said softly.

"_You didn't know?"_ the Animal forcefully asked her.

Regina shook her head profusely again. "No I didn't. She never told me. How far along was she?"

Batista ignored her question. Instead, he pulled the chair closer and got up to her face. He was panting. Regina could smell the heavy alcohol in Batista's breath. He reeked of beer and armpit sweat. She started to bawl loudly, hoping someone from the other room could hear her. "Tell me my sweet sister-in-law, what was so important about that second call. Hmm? What did you have to tell Angie?"

Regina was at a loss for words. She looked desperately at her brother-in-law, pleading for him to calm down. _"Please … Dave … please … don't hurt me!"_

But Regina's pleading made Batista's blood boil even further. "_Answer me!"_ he barked again. Regina cried some more. She tried to think back to her last conversation with Angie. She remembered she was at the airport. She called Angie on her cell phone. And that was it. The conversation was a blur. Regina couldn't remember anything. If she told Batista that, Lord knows what he would do to her. But she had to brutally honest. Even if that meant she had to pay a price.

"_I … d-don't … re-remember," _she cried out. She continued to have trouble breathing through her sobs. _"But … I-I … couldn't have been the l-last …one …to call her. It's n-not true."_

Again, Batista said nothing at first. He reached into his black leather coat pocket and pulled out a folded copy of Angie's cell phone call records. He unfolded it and held out right in front of Regina. "You think I'm lying?" he sternly exclaimed. Regina took the document from him and skimmed down to the last few phone calls.

Truth be told, her brother-in-law was right. Regina recognized the last two numbers at the bottom of the page. They were hers. Batista studied Regina's face. She looked very worn out from the verbal abuse. _Good_, he thought. _Serves her right. _

"You know what you are?" Batista pressed on as Regina continued to look at the document. "You are the most selfish bitch I have ever met in my life. You think you are all nice with everybody, but deep down all you are a no-good liar and the only person you care about is your goddamn self!"

Regina had had enough abuse for one day. With the document in hand, she rose from her seat and tried to run out of the room. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?! I'm not done with you!" Batista tried to pull her back by tugging on her jacket, but Regina managed to break free from him. "Get away from me!" She ran down the hallway, screaming from the top of her lungs. Batista ran after her in hot pursuit. "You fucking bitch, don't you dare run away from me!"

"Please leave me alone!" she cried out to him as she returned back to the reception room. People looked in shock as they saw a young girl with red eyes from sobbing and a large bruise on the right side of her face. Her brother Matt ran over to her and gently placed his hand over the bruise. "Sis, what happened to you?" his face looked very concerned. "Who did this to you?"

But before Regina could explain anything, Batista charged into the room, panting from the short sprint. "Ladies and gentleman, I have an announcement to make." Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned their attention on the drunken widower.

Batista spouted off his accusations about the _real_ culprit of the car accident, the cell phone calls, and Angie's pregnancy. Stunned, people in the room were gasping and chattering amongst themselves. Even the wrestlers were surprised at the sudden accusations.

"So you see, we have Regina to thank for this miserable day. She took Angie from all of us. So here's to you," Batista sneered as he picked up a glass and hurled it against the wall, breaking it into little pieces. The sound of the glass cracking made people jump. "Thanks to you, my children don't have a mother anymore!" Through her sobs, Regina clutched onto her brother tight.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! How do you know that Angie was pregnant?" Matt shouted.

"Because the police did an autopsy on her, dumbass," Batista scolded. "The chief said Angie and the baby would have been alive if it wouldn't have been for her."

"Shut up, Dave!" Matt chided back. "Haven't you said enough already for today? Don't bring more pain to what we already have."

Batista was flabbergasted. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Regina was the one causing more pain to her family and friends, not him!

"I gotta get out of here. I can't take this anymore." Regina broke free from her brother and turned around to walk away, but Batista stopped her from her tracks. He got into her face once again. Regina's eyes had widened in horror again. "I hate you. I hate you so much I hope you rot in hell," Batista's face looked disgusted. "In fact, I hate you so much that I wish it was _you_ in that coffin today and not Angie!"

Once those words were out, the entire restaurant fell silent. One could hear a pin drop. Those words were daggers to Regina's heart. Strong as she was, she never felt so small until that very moment. She never felt so speechless, humiliated, and mortified in her entire life. She couldn't even utter a sound. She had to get out of the restaurant and fast.

Get away from the drama.

Away from her family.

Away from her friends.

Away from her attacker.

If anything good could come out of the funeral service today, it was that Athena and Carrie weren't witnessing their father act like a total, complete, drunken jerk. They were staying at a friend's house, oblivious to the drama that has ensued.

Regina tried to push the drunken widower out of her way, but with his vengeance still in full gear, Batista suddenly grabbed his sister-in-law by the throat. Regina screamed. She tried to pry his hands off her, but his grip was too strong. The entire room began shouting in fright.

"Dave, let her go! _Let her go!" _shouted several people. But Batista didn't seem to hear them. Some of the relatives and wrestlers tried to interfere, but he managed to push them away. He was so focused on his prey, wondering to himself what to do. Regina tried shaking her head from his grip, but to no avail. She screamed again, weeping profusely. A new slice of panic shot through the young sister-in-law's slender body as she watched Batista's features dramatically evolve in the familiar expression of his in-ring character.

"_Dave, please, don't do this. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry!"_ she cried out, hoping reverse psychology would ease the tension.

"_Shut up_!" Batista roared like thunder. "Sorry is not going to get you anywhere!" In a flash, Batista released Regina for a second, then grabbed her again with full force.

"Don't do it, Dave!" People kept yelling in the background, but Batista was able to drown out the sound. He shoved Regina's head down between his thighs, chaining his arms around her wait. Regina felt her brother-in-law's legs pressing against her ears, cutting off the cries of her family, friends and acquaintances. She could smell a strange smell coming from between his legs. Was it sweat or urine? It didn't matter because with minimal effort, Batista lifted her up. Regina felt the commotion of flipping head over heels. Instantly, she knew exactly what was about to happen. She had seen him perform it on his fellow wrestlers several times live and on television. She never thought in a million, billion, or trillion years that she would become his latest victim. Regina opened her eyes and realized that she could see everyone looking up at her in pure horror. Her legs straddled Batista's head, and his hands were on her waist. Regina shrieked in terror for the final time as she fell backwards fast, way too fast.

But it was too late. With all his rage and fury, Batista brought Regina toward the same side table with a huge Batista Bomb. The hissing sounds of broken plates, silverware, and drinking glasses connected with her skull and spine. The pulverizing force of the powerbomb had broken the table into two. Regina's world went completely black. For his part, Batista roared in anger and pain. Distraught family members screamed and rushed over to Regina's side. Batista slowly pulled himself together and looked over at the damage he caused.

He put his large hands on his forehead. The motion of the powerbomb had made him feel queasy. He felt like he was going to throw up. He saw the broken form of his sister-in-law that he destroyed. An uneasy feeling erupted inside the Animal. Slowly, he started to walk away from the reception room, hoping to go unnoticed.

"Are you satisfied now, asshole?" shouted Matt from behind. "Look what you did to this family! Look what you did to her!"

When Batista turned around, he was met with a closed fist connecting hard to his face. Batista stumbled backwards, ultimately fell down. Matt jumped on top of his brother-in-law and started punching him left and right. A scuffle had formed. Blood started to ooze out of Batista's nose. He tried to push Matt away, but his head was spinning profusely. "This is what you get for hurting my family. I'll never forgive you for this," Matt screamed in his face. "You're going to pay for this, you stupid son-of-a-bitch!" Some of the wrestlers, including Triple H, Randy Orton, and Goldberg, pried Matt away. Thankfully, Regina was already out cold to witness any more violence.

What was supposed to be a day of remembrance, love, and support turned out to be a day full of hate, pandemonium, and anguish. For Batista and Regina, Angie's funeral will forever be the day that they will never, ever forget.


	11. Chapter 11: Blessing in Disguise

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but after writing the last chapter, I was beating around the bush on where to go next with the story. There was so many options to choose from, but I finally decided on one that I hope makes the most sense. I cannot tell you how encouraged I was when reading all your comments. They really helped moved forward in getting this chapter completed. Therefore, I'd like to personally thank **Kellia Girl, RKOsgirl92, xoxo olivia, Esha Napoleon, VolcomStoneBabe, CerebralPrincess, BigRedMachineUK, **and last, but certainly not least, **DarkAngelElektra **for your awesome reviews. You guys rock my socks!! Love yas!! **

**A/A/N: Again, I'd like to stress that I do NOT own any of the names of the McMahon family nor Batista. Without further ado, read, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 11: Blessing in Disguise

_Approximately three months after the funeral_

"You can have a seat in here. Vince will be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Batista softly replied to the young secretary as she escorted him into a large boardroom.

"Can I get you anything while you wait?"

Batista shook his head and grinned. "No, thanks."

With that, the secretary closed the door, leaving the Animal alone in the room. He slowly paced around the room's perimeter, his eyes skimming the walls, whose white space was decorated with framed magazine covers of WWE Superstars. A slight grin touched his face as he looked at each cover. He could relate to these guys. They busted their asses off sacrificing their families, their bodies, and their lives to be the best in the business. Compared to these guys though, Batista was still a rookie. His wrestling skills were progressing, but he knew he had a long way to go before his picture was on a cover. However, his climb to the top would be going at a much slower rate.

Batista grabbed a seat in one of the black, leather office chairs at the table. He let out a light sigh as he took in the void of sound in the room. It was a nice feeling to have some peace and quiet for a change considering the hell that he went through the past couple of months. He wished he felt calm on the inside as well. His mind was racing at the possible implications of why he was summoned to the WWE headquarters by the Chairman.

As he nervously adjusted his tie, Batista felt a little perspiration drip down his face. He immediately wiped off its remnants. His large hands got clammy. He looked down at them, disgusted. They caused considerable damage to the masses. After the funeral debacle, there was no question that Batista's erratic behavior let everybody down, no pun intended. It was no secret that his future with the WWE would very much be in jeopardy.

Batista remembered getting the call from Vince a few days ago, demanding him that he be present at his office this morning.

At first it seemed a little odd that Vince wanted to meet with the widower, considering he gave him time off to mourn for his wife and unborn child. However days after the incident, the media had a field day reporting the facts and fiction of Angie's funeral. The truth of the matter was police were called immediately to the scene, where Batista was placed under arrest for assault and public drunkenness charges. Regina was immediately taken to the emergency room.

Thanks to his good conduct in court, the judge sentenced Batista to only 30 days in jail and heavily fined him for the damages he caused at the restaurant. He was also placed on probation. Batista successfully paid his dues, but his actions and punishment became a public relations nightmare for the WWE as the media blasted the company for giving the talents a "pat on the back" when promoting violence in public. Press releases, statements, and television interviews didn't suppress the pandemonium of the issue.

Fortunately, Batista was in jail during the media outcry, but even if he was present in the limelight, what could he have said to defend his faults? Though it was a light sentence, being in jail was probably the best thing that could have happened to the young widower. It gave him time to reflect on his actions. Deep down, he had no excuse for pulverizing his sister-in-law through a table. None. His behavior was inexcusable. He showed poor judgment in front of his family and co-workers when he infused his in-ring character and topped it with getting drunk, especially since Angie was killed by a drunk driver.

He hated himself for the way he behaved. Deep down, he didn't want to hurt Regina. He wanted to get some answers about the crash, and after uncovering the cell phone records and the autopsy results, his whole world went completely nuts, and he turned to the one source whom he thought held the golden ticket. Instead of getting help from Regina, Batista destroyed her. He thought about Regina a lot while in prison. He hoped that she was alright. To this day, he could still picture in his mind his sister-in-law's sorrowful face on that fateful day, her tearful and horrified reaction when he slapped her across the face and verbally abused her, despite of her constant pleas to stop. He should have left her alone when she ran away from him, but no. All that alcohol in Batista's system fueled him to the limit as he charged after her like a rabid wolverine and powerbombed her through a dining table filled with glasses, silverwares, and white china plates in front of everyone.

What sick bastard would do something so destructive? Had he had done the same thing if he wasn't drunk? Could he really be that capable of hurting a woman? Sure, he and Angie had their fights during their marriage, but he never thought twice of physically harming her. It just wasn't right. What kind of a man was he becoming?

Batista knew that Angie must be rolling with fury in her grave at the moment. She would have been sick to her stomach at the thought her husband physically abusing her sister. When Batista was released from prison, he made the first steps of reconciling with his in-laws by trying to find out about her condition, but they shunned him.

In fact, the only way Batista could interact with the family was through the courts. The Del Pieros had hired a lawyer, who issued two restraining orders against the son-in-law – one stating that Batista stay at least one hundred yards away from Regina and another stating that he stay at least fifty yards away from Carrie and Athena.

Panicked, Batista and his lawyer tried to appeal the latter decision to the judge but to no avail. It had been three months since he had any contact with his girls, and he missed them terribly. They belonged to him. They were his two miracles, and life at home in Long Island without them lately was hell. Batista felt empty and lonely at nights, but in retrospect maybe he deserved it.

If that wasn't enough, his actions caused more friction between himself and the talents from the Raw and Smackdown rosters. He tried keeping in touch with some of the guys, including his Evolution buddies, but they kept blasting him for being a bombastic jackass.

"_Man, I would rather hang myself than lay a hand on a woman. You better get your act together if you ever want to come back," _Batista recalled his former mentor D-Von Dudley imploring over the phone.

At this rate, Batista wished he could hang himself. His life seemed to be over. There was nothing to live for anymore. He lost his wife. He was losing his daughters and friends. There would be no question if he were to lose his dream job very soon. Regina could die. And the only person Batista could blame was himself. He desperately wished he could take everything back. He wanted his life back to normal.

But normalcy wasn't going to come anytime soon. And if Batista wanted to move on with his life, he was going to have to deal with more consequences.

There was a soft creak of hinges as one of the boardroom's double doors swung open. Batista was startled back to the present. He looked up and saw the Chairman enter. Batista stood up and as he started to greet him, he saw more people entering the room.

Three more to be exact.

Linda, Shane, and Stephanie McMahon also filed into the boardroom and took their seats across the table. They exchanged pleasantries with the Animal, but their facial expressions were serious. Batista gulped as he sat back down. His heart plummeted to his stomach. He felt very uneasy by their presence. Life was imitating art when suddenly, he felt like a soon-to-be axed contestant on the hit reality show "The Apprentice." In addition to being very hands-on in the business, the family did attend the funeral and witnessed the turmoil at the reception.

"How're you doing, sir?" he asked Vince, who took a seat between his wife and daughter.

Vince looked up at Batista. His face was emotionless at first. "What do you think, boy?" his raspy voice snapped back. Immediately, he felt intimidated by the Chairman's stern comment. Batista knew that he had to watch what he said or else one word would make his boss fly across the table and immediately put his head through a wall. At that point, Batista knew he was screwed.

The widower bowed his head slightly, staring at the dark, mahogany table. His hands were clasped together. Nobody said anything for a moment. Batista wasn't sure if the McMahons were waiting for him to speak. Even they did, no apologies could erase his past demonic actions.

"What do you got to say for yourself?" the Chairman vehemently asked. Batista slowly looked up and panned his eyes on each McMahon member. Nobody smiled.

Batista cleared his throat before speaking. He knew anything that would come out of his mouth would be regarded as complete, utter bullshit, but he had nothing to lose.

"I've been thinking about what to say for the past three months," he began as he looked at each member, "… and to be honest, I don't know what to say. Because no matter how deeply sorry I am for my actions, I know … I know that it will not take away the pain that I caused to my family or the embarrassment that I caused for the WWE." Batista shook his head, his raspy voice almost cracking with emotion. "I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I am really, really sorry for what I've done, and I wish I could undo everything, but I know I can't. I know that it will take a long time before everything is squared again."

"You damn right, it will!" Vince tensed up again, but quickly his nerves subsided as Linda placed her hand over his. "Vince," she looked at him before turning her glance at Batista.

"How's Regina doing?" she asked in her signature calm voice.

"I honestly don't know," Batista replied, shaking his head again.

"What the hell do you mean, 'you don't know?'" Vince growled again. "You pounded that poor girl through a table. Don't you care?"

"Of course, I care." Now Batista's voice rose with depth. "I care very much."

"You had a funny way of showing it at the funeral."

Batista bowed his head again and clenched his teeth. Vince didn't waste any time in showing displeasure. His anger toward the Animal was very visible, and rightly so. "I know," the widower uttered softly. "Look, I've tried reaching out to her family, but they don't want to speak to me, let alone look at me."

"Well, what do you expect?" Vince pressed on. "After what they've been through the past few months, you think the first thing they're going to do is forgive you?"

Batista shook his head. He knew Vince was right. It would take months, even years, before he and the family reconciled again. It was a definite shame too because he really considered them _his _family after all they've done for him after his mother Eleni passed away. He didn't have much family afterwards. His father walked out on his mother when he was a baby. Life wasn't exactly perfect in the Del Piero household, especially since Batista and Matt didn't get along. But Mother Maria offered him a place to stay, food to eat, and love to share.

He thought about his mother-in-law, whom he had grown very close. He considered her a second mother. They had so much in common. She had suffered so much heartache and tragedy during her lifetime and still had the strength to keep her family united. Now Batista caused even more heartache for her. Maria was the last person he wanted to hurt. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he ever faced her again. Would she ever forgive him? Would she accept him back into the family?

"I actually was able to speak to someone in the family," Vince's daughter Stephanie chimed into the conversation. "It was a guy. I think his name was Matt?"

Batista nodded his head. "That's my brother-in-law. When did you speak to him?"

"It was just a couple weeks after the funeral. I wanted to see how Regina was doing. We spoke briefly at the funeral," she replied.

Batista raised his eyes in curiosity at Stephanie. Maybe this was a breakthrough he was looking for. It wouldn't be much because it wasn't very recent, but he would find out how Regina or the girls were doing. "What did he say?"

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Not very much. He appreciated that I had called. He said Regina was still recuperating in the hospital. The doctors performed two surgeries on her upper and lower spine. They don't know if she'll be able to walk again."

"Oh, no," Batista muttered under his breath as he pressed his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. He felt sick to his stomach. Though it wasn't the appropriate moment, he felt like he was going to throw up. This was not the kind of news he was looking for. He hoped Regina would fully recover and move on with her life. He didn't know what he would do with himself if Regina never walked again. With one instant move, he destroyed her life.

"Again, it was only a couple weeks after the funeral, so I don't know. Maybe things have changed," Stephanie explained.

"Hopefully for the better," uttered Shane, who sat next to Linda. "For her family's sake."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Did he say anything else? How are my girls doing?" Batista pressed on. He hated the fact that he had to involved the McMahon clan in his personal problems, but there was no other choice.

"Not really. He was really upset-" Stephanie shook her head.

"Dave, I understand that you are very concerned for your family. I am glad that you finally stepped down from your egotistical soap box and realized you are at fault for this disaster. I personally would like to know what the hell were you thinking at that very moment? Did you think all your problems would be solved?" Vince interrupted his daughter, who looked at him in surprise, but the Chairman didn't pay much attention. He glared at Batista with utter disappointment. "Did you think Angie would miraculously come back to life?"

Batista looked down in shame and just shook his head. He couldn't think of anything to say. His mind went total blank. That was just it. He didn't know what he was thinking. Or better yet, he _didn't _think _at all. _It was as if his massive body was possessed. He had no total control, and he didn't allow the raging lunatic inside of him to stop.

"Look, I'm just going to say this. You were way out of line. WAY out of line! Angie didn't die because of Regina. Angie died because of that drunk driver. So if I were you, I'd get your facts straight and start blaming the person who's _really_ responsible," Vince spouted again. "Never mind that because that is not my issue … _My_ issue is this company. And because of you, the WWE has been on a rollercoaster ride of attacks, accusations, and lies by the media, who thinks we approve this. Because of you, our PR department has been working overtime trying to defend this company." Vince grew more annoyed seeing Batista's lack of eye contact. "Look at me when I am talking to you, boy."

Batista slowly raised his head, fixing his sad, dark eyes at the Chairman. He could sense the emotion building up inside the old man as his face turned into a light orange hue. Batista wouldn't be surprised if Vince jumped across the table and bit his head off, but then he noticed a slight change on his face. Vince's features started to soften. "You know, when we hired you we thought that you would go far because of your in-ring abilities. When I looked at you, I saw an asset to our company," his signature low-raspy voice retorted.

Batista grinned at the Chairman's compliment. He appreciated Vince's support in the past few years. "But," Vince continued. "This doesn't excuse you from the embarrassment you caused our company. We can't accept this type of behavior off camera. We've all discussed this and agreed …" He motioned his clan. "…that it's best that we suspend you from the company."

The news hit Batista like a dagger to the heart. He found himself breathing kind of heavily as emotions trickled up in his throat. He tried his best to suppress them. "For how long?" he asked softly, his voice barely audible.

"Until this media spectacle ends, and I don't know how long it will take, but for now we'll say indefinitely."

That did it. His worst nightmare came true. His dream of becoming a main event talent was hanging by a thread. Good news was that Batista wasn't technically future endeavored from the WWE. Bad news was he wasn't going to be in the ring every week entertaining millions of fans. He loved being in the ring. It was where he felt the most comfortable. Besides Angie and his daughters, wrestling was his first love.

The Animal took in a deep breath. He wiped his forehead with his clammy hand and tried to think of something smart to change Vince's mind. "I'm sorry … _I'm really, really sorry!" _Emotion gushed out of Batista's eyes like a waterfall as his shoulders bobbed up and down uncontrollably. At this point, he didn't care if it was unprofessional to cry like a baby in front of the bosses. For all the widower knew, his life was over. "I don't know why I hurt so many people."

"I think you do know why," Vince said sternly. His lips were pursed. "You just didn't know how much it was going to cost you."

As Batista continued to sob, sympathetic Shane tried to calm his agony by reassuring him that the suspension was a blessing in disguise.

"Face it, Dave. Your life is a mess right now. You lost your wife. You and your family are not speaking. Your sister-in-law's still in critical condition. You're not going to be working for us for a while," the Boy Wonder explained. "If I were you, I'd take this time to re-evaluate your life. That way whenever you do come back, you'll be a whole new man."

Stephanie looked at her brother and nodded before turning her attention to Batista. "Yeah, I agree," she replied warmly with a hint of tenderness. "You've suffered an incredible loss, and even though we are sympathetic, we have to do what's best for the company. And after witnessing your erratic behavior at the funeral, you leave us with no choice. I mean, I bet you miss your daughters very much. And they must miss you. Even though you and your wife's family are at odds, I'm sure spending with the girls will help alleviate the pain. Maybe you and your wife's family will reconcile."

Batista nodded. He didn't want to divulge the McMahons on the details of the restraining orders. It was none of their business for starters, but Stephanie was right about one thing. He _did _miss his daughters, and he would do anything to reclaim them, even if it meant breaking the law.

The more Batista thought about it, the more he understood that a break from the pro wrestling world was the perfect medicine he needed to get his life back on track.

"You're right, Steph," Batista's voice was firm with resoluteness. "I will use my time off wisely."


	12. Chapter 12: Reclaiming What's Mine

**A/N: Hey fans! I've updated this story yet again, and this chapter is definitely a doozy! A lot is going on here, so I apologize for any confusion! I'd like to thank** CerebralPrincess, xoxo olivia, Esha Napoleon, DarkAngelElektra, RKOsgirl92, and BigRedMachineUK **for your awesome reviews! Love you guys! OK, enough of this chit chat, read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 12: Reclaiming What's Mine

Batista parallel parked his black SUV on the corner of Shunk and Lambert streets. The engine roared with thrust as he pressed an automatic button on his door to lower the windows. Though the air conditioner was kept to a minimum, the Animal wanted to breathe in the air from the outside. He looked over at his rearview mirror, adjusting his dark sunglasses. He tugged his black baseball cap down so that nobody would recognize him.

The restraining order prevented the young father from being in close contact with his daughters, but it didn't stop him from seeing them at a distance. This was a critical time in their lives where a parent should be present in their children's lives. After his meeting with the McMahon family, Batista kept calling his mother-in-law's house to speak to his girls, but he would always hit a roadblock. Once a person on the other line recognized his voice, he or she would immediately hang up. This frustrated him to no end. All he wanted to do was make sure his girls were alright. He never doubted that the Del Piero family wouldn't take good care of them, but he missed Carrie and Athena so much that he would lie wide awake at nights, thinking and daydreaming of a possible reunion with them. He also wondered if they missed him as much as he missed them. Or better yet, he thought about whether they would remember him.

With the birds chirping and the sun shining brightly on top of the roofs, Batista hoped he would get a chance a glimpse of his girls playing outside. The last thing he wanted to do was cause any more trouble.

Batista pulled the key out of the ignition and leaned back against the headrest, propping his massive elbow against the door. He veered to the right and saw the one thing that was very familiar from his vantage point. With the exception of the cars parked single filed along the narrow, one-way street, the front side of Batista's mother-in-law's brick home was clearly visible.

It had been many months since he visited his old neighborhood. Everything appeared the same on the outside. The row of big, tall trees lined up on the curb of each home, signs of "GO PHILLIES" and "GO FLYERS" were decorated on every other porch. At the Del Piero's front porch, there would usually be scores of potted plants. Maria loved flowers. She'd say that flowers always made the home a happy place.

But so much has changed.

Even though the family had most likely received dozens of flower arrangements from loved ones, it still didn't quell the drama and the sadness from inside the home. Months later, they were still mourning for Angie, at the same time, provoking the law to protect Carrie and Athena from their father.

Then there was Regina, who, from Batista's knowledge, was fighting for her own life. Was she still in the hospital? Is she able to walk?

As he continued to stare at the house, the widower found himself feeling sorry for Regina. She had just gotten promoted at her dream job when tragedy suddenly appeared at her doorstep. The poor girl had dealt with her fair share of tragedy during her lifetime. Batista wondered what would happen if he ever saw her again. What would he say? Would she accept his apologies? Would she forgive him? Would she retaliate? These questions and more kept circulating his mind.

Just then, the sound of young children laughing in the background broke Batista's train of thought. He looked over his dashboard to see where the source of the noise was coming from.

What he saw next made him smile from ear to ear. Batista's incognito look couldn't mask his excitement as it became so contagious that he had to get out of the car.

Wearing a light yellow dress and matching open-toe sandals, Carrie was a ray of sunshine as she laughed out loud with her little cousins. Her laughter evaporated when a loud, familiar voice called her name. The little girl immediately turned around.

"Carrie, you be good! No go in the street, OK?" a middle-aged woman, dressed in black, instructed the child in her signature, thick Italian accent. She stood at the porch's top step. "I watch you from inside."

"OK, Nonna!" the little girl yelled to her grandmother Maria as she ran to join the other kids. Maria nodded as she turned around and headed back inside.

Carrie was having a ball playing with her little cousins. Her joy and enthusiasm didn't dampened the fact that neither she had lost her mother months ago nor she was in the middle of a battle between her relatives and her father. To the little girl's advantage, she wasn't aware of the drama regarding her and her sister Athena's well-being and what would eventually follow.

She played a whole slew of games with her cousins, including hop-scotch, duck-duck-goose, and four-square. At times, Maria came outside to check on her grandchildren before returning to her housework. Several minutes passed before Carrie finally threw her hands up. All that running and jumping around made her sweat and very tired.

"I'm going to go sit down," she yelled to her cousins. As she climbed up the porch steps, two of her female cousins followed suit. Maria had provided little fruit juice boxes for the kids in case they became thirsty. Carrie and her cousins gulped their preferred flavors and relaxed. The drinks seemed to remedy their spirits, as two of the girls quickly stood up and started playing again.

In the meantime, Carrie stayed back and watched her little cousins play in jubilant glee. Her sojourn at her grandmother's house provided an excellent way to reconnect with her Philly relatives, whom she'd rarely see since her home base was on Long Island. Carrie was having a ball in Philadelphia. She got to sightsee around the city from visiting Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell to attending her first Phillies game. Her relatives tried hard to protect her from any drama, but it didn't replace the deep hole in her little heart that wished that she could share her joy with her mommy and daddy.

During the time of living with her grandmother, Carrie got to witness her aunts and uncles showering love to their offspring. Now that is not to say that she or Athena didn't get any love. But these days, life just wasn't fair, and she couldn't understand why. The more she saw delight in her cousins' face while they were with their parents, the more sad she became, the more she missed _her_ parents.

"Come on, Carrie, let's play!" yelled one of her cousins.

But Carrie didn't listen. She sat on the step with her head bowed, thinking. Mommy was in Heaven, Daddy was away, and she was alone. Of course, she wasn't alone because baby Athena was in the same boat. But her little sister was still too young to understand anything. Carrie especially missed her father, with whom she shared a tight bond. The little girl hadn't heard from him since the funeral. She remembered one of his last words to her:

_I promise you I'll never leave you and your sister … You're all I got._

The inquisitive girl would bug her relatives on her father's whereabouts, but their response would be simply that Batista was too busy.

Was Batista breaking his promise? Did she do something wrong for him to do this? Didn't he love her anymore? The thought of her father not spending any time with her made the little girl cry.

Her cousins noticed Carrie's sad face and walked over to the front steps. "Carrie, what's wrong?" one of the kids asked. "Why aren't you playing with us?"

Carrie raised her little head, her eyes were rosey red as tears streamed down her face. "I miss my daddy," she cried out.

At first, the kids didn't say anything. They stood around her, watching Carrie sob. Then one of her cousins sat beside her and placed her arm around her. "Don't worry, Carrie," the cousin reassured. "You'll see him again."

But Carrie shook her head as she wiped her tears. "No I won't."

"Well, I heard Uncle Dave went to jail because he did something wrong," replied one of Carrie's boy cousins.

The group raised their eyes in shock at the little boy, wondering why he spilled the awful truth.

"That's not true!" Carrie shouted.

"Uh-huh," the boy answered back with defiance. "My daddy said that your daddy dropped-"

"That's enough!" yelled one of Carrie's girl cousins at the boy. She gave him the cold stare. She was the oldest of the group. "Now come on, everybody, we were having fun. Why should we spoil it? Let's play some more before Nonna calls us in for dinner." She motioned the gang to follow her on to the sidewalk. When she saw Carrie still sitting on the step, the eldest cousin sighed and walked over to the step again. "Carrie, aren't you coming?"

"Is it true my daddy's in jail?" the little girl asked.

The eldest cousin sat on the step again and placed her arm around Carrie, hoping to inject some comfort. She had been instructed by her parents not to utter the whole truth. It'd be too much for the little girl to handle, plus she was too young to understand. The cousin did her best to dance around the subject. "I really don't know." It was the best answer she could think of off the top of her head.

"Will I see him again?"

"You will," the eldest cousin smiled. She patted Carrie's shoulder. "Come on, let's go play jump rope before we go inside. OK?"

Finally, Carrie smiled and nodded her head. The two cousins stood up and walked hand in hand to join the others. A few minutes later, laughter and joy erupted again as the kids seemed to enjoy themselves again. Carrie wasn't very good at the concept of jumping over the rope, but she loved to soar from her feet. It would take time and practice before she master the rhythm, but at the moment she enjoyed swinging the colorful rope over her head. A great mimic, the little girl closed her eyes and at one point, jumped clockwise and counter-clockwise with the rope in hand.

When Carrie finally opened her eyes, she spotted the one thing that made all of her sadness rapidly disappear into thin air.

"DADDY!!" She cried out, her tone was infectiously excited. At the end of the street, Batista had watched his daughter play in jubilee and then cry in sadness. As soon as he heard Carrie cry, he desperately wanted to run and comfort her, telling her that everything would be OK, that he loved her very much, and that he never forgot her or her sister. Batista didn't think Carrie would notice his disguised presence, but deep down he was glad she did. This proved that their bond was still strong.

Before Carrie's playmates could say anything, the little girl had already dropped her jump rope and took off down the gravel sidewalk to her father. "DADDY!" she yelled again. Her face lit up with an inner radiance of joy. It was the quality that Batista loved so much about his daughter. Her little heart was racing as she longed for the moment that they would be reunited. Smiling, Batista took his sunglasses and ran toward his daughter. Right now, the restraining order didn't mean anything to him. His heart melted. He missed her so much. The young father squatted down and held out his hands as Carrie quickly closed the gap and wrapped her little arms tightly around his neck.

In return, Batista wrapped his massive arms around her and picked her up from off the ground. He twirled Carrie around a few times, laughing and just being happy. He planted small kisses on her cheeks and forehead. When he finally set her down, Batista lovingly gazed into his daughter's eyes, wiping away the tears from her face. He squatted down in front of her and held her hands.

"Daddy, you kept your promise," Carrie replied happily. "You came for me."

There were so many things he wanted to say to her in that moment, explain the reason for his absence, explain about the current situation, but he wanted to enjoy this precious moment, no matter how little it would be. Batista smiled as he hugged his little girl again. "I missed you. You don't know how much I miss you," his raspy voice choked with emotion. He ran his hands down Carrie's medium dark brown hair.

"I missed you too, Daddy," the little girl confided. "So does Athena."

"How are you two doing? Are you girls OK? Are they taking good care of you?" Batista asked, his face immediately grew with concern. But his worried expression quickly subsided when Carrie reassured him that she and Athena were alright. In fact, Carrie spilled all the adventures she experienced with the family.

Batista smiled, relieved that his daughters were doing well. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long before he would be able to take his girls home.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetie," Batista's expression softened again.

"Don't leave me."

It killed Batista to pieces knowing that he would have to break his little girl's heart. He hated the fact that he would have to leave her alone again, but he had to comply with the law, even though at the current moment, he was already breaking the rules. If it were up to Batista, he would take his girls away with him in an instant. They deserved to be with their father. If he was going to get his girls back, he needed Carrie's full cooperation.

"Baby, I want you to listen to me very carefully," Batista instructed her, caressing her cheek. His voice became rough with feeling. "Even though you don't see me every day, I'm always going to be with you. Right now, you and Athena are going to stay with Nonna, but soon you'll be able to come home with me."

The little girl started to get fussy as tears rolled down her eyes. "Noooo, Daddy, I want to come with you now! Please don't leave me! Please! I miss you!"

"I miss you too! Believe me, I don't like this one bit. I hate being away from you and Athena," Batista looked over Carrie's shoulder, hoping no one would come out of the house. "Listen to me, honey!" He gently grabbed her shoulders. "There are some things that I need to take care of."

"What kinds of things?" Carrie inquired her father.

"Grown-up things. I'll tell you about that later. As soon as I'm done with that, I will come and get you and Athena. I promise you! For right now, you behave yourself for Nonna."

"Are you sure you'll come and get us?" Carrie's inquisitiveness took immediate control.

"Pinky swear," Batista held out his pinky and linked it with Carrie's. Despite his sorrow, he put up a brave front for his daughter as he hugged her tightly. "No matter what happens. Remember one thing, baby…" He whispered softly in her ear. "I love you very much. And you tell Athena that I love her too."

"I love you too, Daddy," Carrie answered softly. She rested her little head on her father's shoulder. Lulled by the security of her father, she held him tight, not wanting to let him go.

"CARRIE, GET BACK IN THE HOUSE NOW!" A man suddenly shouted from the top of his lungs. The young father and his daughter reluctantly broke their embrace and looked over at the front porch. Regina's brother Matt ran down the steps and sprinted toward their direction. "LET GO OF HER NOW!"

"Daddy, I'm scared," Carrie quivered softly. Still squatting, Batista gently took her hand and brought her back, pulling the little girl against his chest and wrapping his arms around her protectively. He leaned in a bit and gently kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, baby, I got you," he whispered in her ear, before turning his full attention to Matt.

Almost panting, Matt came to a full stop. "I said let her go!" He tried to break Batista's hold from Carrie. The little girl cried in discomfort. "NO!" she yelled. Unfortunately, Matt's action proved to be unsuccessful as Batista's grip was too strong.

Matt saw his niece's face was filled with fright. In his eyes, she was not safe in her father's arms. "Carrie, please go inside right now!" he ordered, but the little girl shook her head. "I want to stay with Daddy!"

"You heard her, Matt. She's been through enough already. Don't make her even more upset!" Batista spoke up, his tone was serious. "I won't let you hurt her."

"I'm the one that's hurting her?" Matt replied sarcastically as he pointed to the little girl. "It seems to me like all the blame is pointing directly at you. I am not even close to being finished with you yet."

Batista's features became emotionless. He could feel the anger boiling inside his nerves. Matt was doing a tremendous job of pushing him over the edge, but it wasn't going to work. Not this time.

"Come on, Carrie. Let's go!" In one instant, Matt yanked Carrie's arm away from Batista. The Animal tried to fight him off, but Matt managed to break the contact. The little girl screamed and cried at the top of her lungs as she was dragged away from her father. "_DADDY! DADDY_!" she cried out, her face was drenched in salty tears. She tried to pull herself away from her uncle and stretched her hand out to reach her father's. "_DADDY, DON'T LEAVE ME! LET ME GO! PLEASE! DADDY!!"_ Matt eventually picked her up and handed her off to his wife. "Take her inside now!" he instructed her over his niece's cries.

Batista's heart crumpled into pieces as the distance between them grew farther apart. Carrie continued kicking and screaming in her aunt's arms. "_I WANT MY DADDY!_" He could her little arms reached out to him until she ultimately was carried inside the house. He tried run after his daughter, but Matt pushed him back.

"Get out of my way, Matt," Batista shoved him in return. He was getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"No I won't because you don't belong here. How many times do I have to tell you that you have no place in our family anymore?" Matt shouted.

"My girls are in there! They belong to _me_!" the young widower retorted back. "And I'm leaving here till I get them."

Matt chuckled. He brought his hands together in a slow, sarcastic applause. "Bravo! I'm thoroughly impressed by your determination..." He showed off a shallow smirk, which then ultimately returned to a serious expression. "…but it's not going to work with me. You see, in case you didn't know, we have a restraining order against you. And since you broke it … _well _that means there are going to be some consequences, but then again you are used to that sort of thing."

"I miss the hell out of them. You can't take my daughters away from me," Batista tried to stay strong, but his raspy voice displayed some emotion. He didn't care if he had to grovel in front of his brother-in-law. In the end, he wanted to reclaim what was his from the start – Carrie and Athena. "They're all I've got."

"You should have thought of that before you dropped my sister through a table!" Now Matt's voice was getting angry. "But no… _you _decided to celebrate my sister's life by getting drunk and pounding people. You get paid to do it every night anyway. So why not inflict it on the innocent people, right? He emphasized each point by pressing his index finger on Batista's chest.

"I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you. The family wants nothing to do with you," Matt raised his hands and shook his head. "You're nothing but a _loser_, Dave. Always have been, always will be. So why don't you go back to your precious mansion and your precious cars and your precious job and leave us the hell alone."

"Not without my girls!" Batista repeated himself, his voice belying only a hint of anger.

Matt chuckled again. "You don't get it, do you? You lost your girls the day you hurt my sister. You not only did that, but you also dishonored your late wife's memory," The brother-in-law was on a roll now, making hand gestures like any other Italian. "Now thanks to you, every anniversary of Angie's death, we are going to be constantly reminded of your despicable, selfish actions that day! After everything we did for you, you spat on my family when you hurt Regina. And that's something, you can _never _take back. So what's the one thing I'm going to take from you?" With that, Matt reached in his back pocket and pulled out a rectangular-shaped white envelope. He slammed it in Batista's hands.

Batista creased in his face with confusion as he opened the envelope and pulled out the packet. He skimmed the pages and couldn't believe what he discovered. His body began to tense as he looked up at Matt, who was smiling. He never felt more pissed off that he did at the moment.

"You're suing me for full custody?" The last thing he needed on his lap was another bombshell.

"Not just me, but the whole family," Matt replied confidently. "We are going to take the two things that mean the most to you. And when we win, we are going to watch you hurt. We are going to watch you suffer."

Batista's expression was tight with fury as he witnessed Matt laughing his head off. His breathing became more heavily as his anger started building up. Batista ground his teeth together furiously.

"_You bastard…" _With that, he dropped the documents on the ground and went after Matt. He shoved him to the ground and placed his hands around his brother-in-law's neck.

A scuffle broke out between the two men in front of the house.

Meanwhile, upstairs in her bedroom, Regina laid on her back wide awake. She couldn't drown out the commotion from downstairs – from the kids screaming that Uncle Dave had arrived to Carrie's deafening outburst as she was forcefully entered through the door.

She couldn't drown out the commotion from outside where two men seemed to be brawling with words. Regina pulled back the covers and gently pulled herself off the bed. She winced in pain as she limped towards the window, trying to will the lingering pain on her legs. She placed her hand on the wall for support.

Regina leaned against the window ledge and placed her hand on her ribs, where they were still very bruised. She looked down at the source of the commotion. There, she saw Dave and Matt fighting with one another again. Her younger brother, Nate, and a few other guys ran over and tried to break up the fight.

Tears streamed down her face, and she made no effort to wipe them away. It was no use anyway. Nothing much mattered anymore. She already lost her sister. Little by little, she lost one thing after another – her job, her self-esteem, her will to live, and possibly her family. The sting in her eyes reminded her that she was still alive. But she didn't care anymore. Everything around her was a blur. She felt alone.

Physically, Regina knew she was going to be fine. But after witnessing the fight from a distance, she felt that her life was over.


	13. Chapter 13: Making the First Move

**I'M BAAACCCCKKKK! First and foremost, I want to profusely apologize to all my reviewers. You've been waiting for more than a year for this next chapter to appear. Long story short, a lot has happened to me both personally and professionally! Writer's block had also something to do with it as every time I came up with an idea for the next chapter, I wasn't satisfied with the direction that it was going. **

**Second, I want to thank my reviewers who have read this story so far. You guys are the best, I love you all! If you think this chapter is deep, you haven't seen anything yet! I'm on Twitter now - follow me NoseysRosie. You can heckle me if I get behind in posting chapters! :)**

**Lastly, I want to thank my best friend, my ****writing confidante, and my fellow Batista lover, Katelyn (a.k.a: DarkAngelElektra). Thank you so much for your advice and your constant support in me and in my writing! I love you to pieces! **

**OK, I've said enough! Read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Making the First Move

_Approximately one year after the funeral_

"And one and two. That's it, you're getting it," said the woman as she marked down the tallies on her clipboard. "You're doing great, Regina. Now give me five more reps."

Regina made a face to her personal trainer, Evelyn. The thought of doing of more rounds of heavy repetitious activity on the leg press machine made her cringe. She wiped the drenching sweat off her face with a towel. It had been a long day. Regina was tired and exhausted. She had just completed 30 reps of pushing 100 pounds of weight with her legs. She hated exercising with weights because it was excruciatingly painful and required extra effort on her part. Every weight block she lifted, she felt the muscles in her body scream in agony to the point where she was very sore in the end and couldn't walk. Evelyn said that was a good thing because it meant the muscles are stimulating.

"I can't do it anymore, Eve. I am too tired," the young girl moaned to her personal trainer. Evelyn had heard Regina's constant outcry of hesitation more than a dozen times, and each time, she's acted more like a coach than a trainer, giving her countless encouragement to work hard, to believe in herself, and to strive for the better.

"Yes, you can, Regina," Evelyn put her hand on her shoulder. She's always been patient with the young girl. "All I'm asking you is to lift a couple more times and then all that's left is cardio. And then we're done.

Regina's eyes opened wide in astonishment. "I have to do cardio _too_?"

"Yes you have too. 20 minutes on the elliptical. If it makes you feel better, I'll walk on the machine with you," Evelyn reassured her. "Now stop being a big baby, and let's go!"

Regina laid down on the leg press machine once again and plopped her legs up in a ninety-degree angle on the board and started pushing the weight block. Each push was getting much harder than the first as she felt her joints writhing in pain.

"AAHHHH!" she screamed. She was sure people around her could hear.

The atmosphere felt like a perspiration storm had invaded the gym with force as the place was packed with men and women, some of who were already physically fit, on the machines or weights. Some were just gabbing in the corner like little high school groupies. Regina wasn't much of a gym person. When she exercised, she did it in the comfort of her own home, where she would pop in a Pilates or Tae-Bo DVD and be in the zone. She always felt uncomfortable working out at the gym because she didn't want anyone, especially the big, buffed guys watching and snickering her every move.

However as part of her physical therapy and recovery process, Regina's doctor highly recommended her to hire a personal trainer so that she work on getting her strength and balance back. For the past several months, Regina and Evelyn have met at the gym three times a week. During those three times, which are usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Regina's workout is as follows: 30-minute warm-up on the treadmill, followed by rounds of various weight training exercises in order to gain more muscle in her legs and arms, before finishing it off with 20 minutes of elliptical fun.

Regina had come a very long way from that dreadful day almost one year ago. Since that time, her main focus had been getting better. She made the most difficult decision to quit her job in order to accomplish her goal. She was back to square one.

Physically, her health has miraculously improved, despite the doctors' alarming trepidation. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Regina had suffered a broken neck and a massive concussion, causing her to divulge into convulsion, which ultimately led to a temporary loss in performing certain motor functions. Doctors feared that because of the severe nerve damage in her neck, leg, and spine, the young brown-eyed girl faced the incredible risk of permanent paralysis. Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital worked for hours trying to repair the leg and spine. Regina spent a couple months in the hospital wearing a neck brace and bandages on her head while doctors monitored on her progress.

A viable, independent person, the young brown-eyed girl now became somewhat of a vegetable. She had relied on hospital staff and family members to help her get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash her, etc. She felt like an infant all over again. Regina had to maneuver around in a wheelchair, then later a walker because she had difficulty keeping her balance. Her life was forever changed after she left the hospital. Doctors ordered her bed rest for several months and then physical therapy. Though her two surgeries were a success, Regina still had lots of stitches and bruises all over her back – the only circumstantial evidence from the funeral reception. To this day, Regina suffers from dizzy spells at times and get irritable easily, a common trait among concussion victims.

Emotionally, Regina was a wreck. She was ashamed and embarrassed. She hated the way people looked at her so pitifully as if she developed a permanent disability. Bed rest had caused her to plummet into deep depression. She didn't allow any visitors to her bedroom. Days and nights were spent alone in the dark, laying in bed and replaying the scenes from that fateful day.

The screaming.

The fighting.

The annihilation.

The destruction.

Maybe she did deserve to die after all. She didn't care what was mentioned about her. She didn't want to know what was said on the opposite side of the door. Even if her mother or brothers knocked and peeked in, she didn't bother to answer. She didn't have the energy to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, and at times, she did the most adolescent thing – wetting the bed.

Getting started on physical therapy was pure torture, and yelling at Regina didn't help the cause. The family and Regina's primary physician (a family friend) did what they could to get her out of bed. They performed an intervention in the young girl's bedroom, of all places. Her doctor was brought along a middle-aged woman with an iron determination. That woman was Evelyn. Thanks to Evelyn, Regina slowly came out of her shell. That's not to say that Regina has fully overcome her difficulties. She still struggles to maintain her balance, but she's physically better than she was almost a year ago.

"Come on, Regina! One more. Push those legs!" Evelyn commanded. Regina's knees burned. Her thighs ached. Her head throbbed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she gritted her teeth. The image of the most gruesome, disgusting face belonging to one Dave Batista tantalized her mind. She shivered as though an aroma of cold air whiffed past her. It didn't take long for her blood to boil with rage. _Asshole, _she muttered herself. With that, she screamed in vain as she pushed with all her might until she heard a clinking sound of the weight blocks.

"You did it!" exclaimed Evelyn. She wrote down the final rep counts on her clipboard. The trainer bent down and patted the young girl's shoulders. "I knew you could it!"

Regina opened her eyes, panting. She laid flat on the leg press, hoping to relax a little bit before going on to the next exercise. The young girl reeked with soreness.

"Alright, let's go!" instructed Evelyn, holding out her hand.

"Wait, wait. Just give me a couple more minutes," Regina begged. "I want to lay here."

The trainer pursed her lips, placing her hands on her hips. "Honey, there's no time to rest. You gotta to keep moving. You can rest when you get home."

"Gimme a break. I've been doing exercises all day. It's like you want me to exercise until my legs fall off," complained Regina. "Is it even worth it?"

Evelyn sighed. Normally, she was used to Regina's constant bitching, but she sensed the something was wrong with the young girl. She could tell from the tone of her voice. The trainer put down her clipboard and sat Indian-styled on the ground next to the leg-press machine. Resting her elbows against her knees and intertwining her fingers together as though in prayer, Evelyn proceeded to give Regina her full attention.

"OK, Regina. What's wrong?" she inquired. In addition to being the trainer, Evelyn often acted as a therapist, however, she was only paid to do the one job. "You haven't been yourself since you got in today. What gives?"

The young girl stared at the gym's patterned, vinyl ceiling, absorbing the people talking and hip-hop music playing in the background. She clasped her hands together and placed them on her stomach. She wasn't breathing as heavily now that she's been laying on the leg press machine for a while.

"I feel like my life is over," she confessed.

"What do you mean?" Evelyn inquisitively asked. "You're alive! That's a good thing!"

Regina shook her head in disagreement. "No. No, I may be alive, but I don't feel alive. I mean, I've been coming to the gym for months trying to get back in shape, and I feel like nothing's working. I still have pain all over my body. I get tired very easily. You know how hard it is for me to get out of bed in the morning?" She shot at glance at Evelyn. "_Very_, _very_ hard."

"But the fact of the matter is that you _do _get up," Evelyn remarked, her tone growing warm. "That's what important-look Regina, in case you don't realize, you are doing so much better from when you first came in. When you first entered the gym, you couldn't even walk, a guy had to pick you up off the wheelchair. Now you're coming in with your own two feet! You're not going to fully recover overnight, but you are on the right track. Recovery from injuries like yours doesn't necessarily end well. The only direction you can now go is up. In a way, you're a miracle story."

Suddenly, Regina's eyes welled up with tears. She shook her head again and covered her eyes with her arms so that none of the buffed guys nearby noticed her crying. "I don't _feel _like a miracle story. I may be getting better physically, but inside, I'm far from it."

"Well, how are you feeling in the inside?"

Regina wiped away her tears again and sighed. "I…I…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "I feel lost…I'm lost … and I'm sad, and I'm _angry." _She gritted her teeth on the last word.

"What are you angry about?" asked Evelyn, her voice was low like a whisper.

Regina closed her eyes again. The mental image slowly saturated into clear display. The same mental image that's haunted her for months. The table, the glasses, the people screaming. Suddenly, all those images morphed into a vivid picture of the face of a gnarled beast. No matter how many times she tried, Regina could not shake _his _face out of her mind. Just like he tormented her in humiliation, he tormented her in psychotic circumstances. In return, Regina felt her heartbeat race and didn't know how to calm herself down. _You bastard. You did this to me, _she thought.

Evelyn noticed Regina sweating heavily and shaking. She grabbed hold of her shoulders, hoping to calm her down. "Regina!" she shouted. "Regina, open your eyes! Look at me!"

Regina opened her dark brown eyes and saw Evelyn hovering over her. "Are you ok?" Evelyn asked with concern.

The young girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered.

"Are you sure? You were shaking," Evelyn replied, creasing her eyebrows with concern. "It's not like you, Regina."

"That's my whole point! I haven't been myself … I haven't been myself since the funeral," Regina confessed. "Everywhere I go, anything I do, the way people look at me and they automatically talk about me behind my back." She stopped for a moment as emotions crept up to her throat. She licked her lips. "I try to tune them out because I can't. I just can't. My family's been pushing me to get over this depression crap like it's nothing serious." She paused once again. Tears streamed down the brown-eyed girl's face again, her voice quivered slightly as she unleashed her deepest vexation. "But it is serious! They don't understand what I'm going through. They think I'm some sort of basket case. They keep telling me to be strong, to forget the nonsense that happened, but it's so hard. Carrie keeps asking me why am I crying all the time, and what the hell am I supposed to say to her?"

Evelyn didn't utter a word. She leaned down and placed her hand over Regina's, giving her some comfort. This only motivated the brown-eyed girl to vent some more.

"I can't even sleep at night. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face, and I can't get him out," Regina's voice turned brusque.

"Whose face do you see?" Evelyn chimed.

"I see … " Regina hesitated for a moment. The thought of uttering his name out loud made her sick to her stomach. She started to tense up again only this time, she took a deep breath and barked "Dave."

"Your brother-in-law," Evelyn responded.

Regina nodded. She folded her arms together. "The look on his face that day. Nobody has ever looked at me that way before. I've always been the good girl, staying out of trouble, not getting in anybody's way. I've always been kind to him. And then, he … he had the audacity to accuse me of killing Angie! That it was my fault." She broke off her monologue again and stared at the ceiling again. Regina shook her head. "I didn't know … I didn't know that I was the last person Angie talked to. How was I supposed to know that? And then, he grabbed me and he threw me like I'm some flimsy object. What if he's right? Maybe it is my fault." She sobbed uncontrollably. "Oh God, I hate him. I hate him for all he's worth. It's bad enough I had lost my dad when I was kid, but now I lost my sister, my job, my self-esteem, my will to live. All at once. There's no such thing as happiness anymore. I wish I could die right now so that I don't have to deal with all this drama."

Evelyn felt overwhelmed. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor young girl. Hearing Regina vent out her pent-up aggression, it was obvious that she was depressed, yet she was being coerced to the edge by her family to put the past behind her and move on. Suddenly, it all made sense. Evelyn has seen cases where people use exercise to get better, but she couldn't shake the feeling that in Regina's case, her problems were delved much deeper into the surface. She wished she could say something, _anything_, which would quell the young girl's sorrows away. Regina hadn't had any time to mourn for her sister because she was too busy alleviating her own health problems, thanks to her brother-in-law. Regina had a valid right to ventilate her painful aggravations. Even though, it seemed like Regina was drowning in the pool of life, she has always found a way to stay afloat. Evelyn admired Regina her for that.

The trainer spoke softly, her voice filled with emotion. "You have every right to feel what you're feeling. I am sorry that you feel this way. It sucks that I can't put myself in your shoes and take that pain away from you. Nobody can to be honest. But please believe me, when I say this, _you _are not at fault for any of this! Do you hear me?" Evelyn stood up and leaned down to Regina's face so that she got her attention. "This is not your fault. You did not cause this mess. Angie did not die because of you. She did not die because of Dave. She died because of that fucking drunk driver! Understand?"

"But Dave said that I-" Regina was interrupted.

"Who gives a fuck what Dave said? He was drunk. I get that he was upset, but he was way out of line. He was trying to find somebody else to blame … and you happened to be right there," Evelyn replied. She reached out and grabbed a roll of paper towels, tore a sheet off and handed it to Regina. "Here, wipe your face."

Regina took the sheet and wiped the tears from her face and blew her nose. She eased herself up from the seat and sat on the edge. She felt as if a piece of weight was lifted from her shoulders now that she has confided in Evelyn. She was thankful that Evelyn was there for her at her weakest moment.

Evelyn sat next to the young girl. She placed her arm around her and smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok," Regina retorted. "Thanks for being a listening ear."

"That's what you pay me for," Evelyn chuckled and nudged Regina. Regina couldn't help but chuckle as well. When the laughter subsided, Evelyn came up with a plan to cheer up her friend. "Listen, maybe it's best that you get out of here. You know, pack your bags and get out of town for a while. Just so that you can clear your thoughts and mourn. Spend some time alone."

Regina was enticed by the idea. She could use a few days away from the drama surrounding her family. Evelyn was right; she needed time to mourn for Angie. She missed her so much. But there was one problem.

"I don't know where to go, Eve," Regina replied.

Evelyn thought about a place for a moment, and then raised her eyebrows as if a light bulb turned on in her head. "I know exactly where you can go," she replied. "My brother owns the Windrift Motel down the Shore. It's right next to the Boardwalk. I'll give you the address. I'll call him up and tell him that you're coming down. There shouldn't be anyone down there since it's still wintertime, so you'll have some peace and quiet. What do you say?"

Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing. A chance to be alone. How could she turn it down? She had nothing standing in her way, except for one thing. "What about my training schedule?"

"I'll take care of it. We'll resume when you get back, but I don't want to hear any whining," Evelyn smiled and pointed her index finger at Regina.

Regina chuckled again. She was ready for a couple of days of rest. "I don't think trainers should do this for their students."

"Yeah, I know," Evelyn concurred. " – but this is what friends do for each other. And since I am doing something for you, there's one more thing you have to do for me."

"I knew there was a catch," Regina shook her head at the thought of doing more exercising. They had spent much of their time confiding that the young girl forgot why she was at the gym in the first place. Regina got up and followed Evelyn passed the cardio machines. The young girl suddenly became skeptical. "Aren't I supposed to do the-."

"I got something better," Evelyn retorted while walking to the back room, where they found big, red Everlast canvas punching bags hanging from the ceiling. "Here, put these on." She handed Regina boxing gloves. Without complaining, the young girl placed her hands inside the gloves. She was skeptical with what was Evelyn's plan of action.

Evelyn stood next to a body-opponent bag, which is a synthetic material, body-shaped training aid used for repeated punching. "Have you ever used this before?" Regina shook her head.

"Well, today's your lucky day," Evelyn retorted as she padded the bag. "This here, along with other types of punching bags, is used for conditioning, physical exercise, and most importantly, stress relief."

"What does this have to do with me?" Regina asked.

Evelyn sighed. "Honey, you're here for all those things. But most importantly, you're angry so you need to take it out on someone," she pointed to the bag. "Take it out on this guy."

"But I'm not mad at him," Regina replied, pointing to the bag and trying not to be a smartass.

"I know that," Evelyn agreed as she walked toward Regina's direction. She put her arm around Regina. "But you're mad at Dave. You want to get back at him, don't you?"

Regina didn't utter a word, she just nodded. She would do anything to get back at her jerk brother-in-law, that's not to say she's not intimidated by his physical presence. However, like in the biblical story of David and Goliath, sometimes the big man can't defeat his opponents every time.

"Well, pretend that this son-of-a-bitch is Dave. Think about what he said to you that day and what he did to you. Using all that pent-up aggression, I want you punch the crap out of this thing," Evelyn instructed.

Regina looked at the body-opponent bag. It looked nothing like Dave. First of all, it was a lifelike mannequin with no legs, no arms and no hair. The figure was plopped by a black base for stability.

"Come on, I know you can do it," her trainer encouraging the young girl. "Trust me, you'll feel better."

With her hands placed firmly into the red boxing gloves, Regina positioned herself directly in front of the mannequin. She stared at the face, trying to picture her enemy's features. But nothing came about. Evelyn watched as the young girl began closing her eyes. Regina breathed slowly as she travelled back in time to a year ago. Suddenly, her mental frame of mind took its course, and she remembered everything. Dave's face reappeared like an angry Doberman ready to viciously pounce on its prey. She felt her heart racing as the sound of a dark, husky voice that has invaded her memory for months permeates again.

… _You take great joy in laughing in other people's pain…_

"No!" Regina whispered.

_... it wasn't the driver that killed Angie … it was you…_

"Noooo!"

… _I wish it was you in that coffin today…_

"Noooo!" her tone had grown louder.

_... I lost everything because of you … _

Regina opened her eyes, and her countenance had changed. Suddenly, she felt a gush of venom fueling in her veins. She may not be herself anymore, but she wasn't going to back down. She was now a bat out of hell ready for action.

"No! I lost everything … because of _YOU!" _After snarling that last word, Regina stormed toward the mannequin, striking it with a hard punch across the face. The base almost toppled over. Regina unleashed more punches. She muttered spiteful words under her breath. She ultimately pushed the mannequin onto the floor. Fuming with sweat and panting, Regina took off the gloves and walked over to the mannequin. She started screaming, stomping and kicking the mannequin's face, flushing out all the stress from her system.

From a distance, Evelyn watched it all unfold. She didn't want to interfere in Regina's fury because she felt that this was the best medicine the poor girl needed.

It should have been what the doctor ordered all along.

Dave had isolated himself from the crowd and settled at the bar area. One of the bartenders, who was putting glasses away, noticed and approached him, "Can I get you anything?"

"Can I have a Bud Light?" the big guy asked.

"Coming right up!"

Dave scoured the scene in the small nightclub while the bartender made him his drink. Typical for a late Monday night, the nightclub was not as packed by any stretch of the imagination, but the bodies of skanky girls dancing and grinding to the tapestry of 90s hip-hop and current hit tunes in the background and the dimness of the place made it all worthwhile.

Three of the four members of Evolution were ready to chill out after wrapping up a sold-out, energizing Monday Night Raw show at the Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in State College.

Dave, along with the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and "Legend Killer" Randy Orton, had some time to recuperate before heading off to their next destination at the Wachovia Center for a live show event in a couple of days. But there was reason to celebrate tonight for the dominant stable. Ric and Dave managed to retain their World Tag Team titles against Chris Jericho and Christian, while Intercontinental Champion Orton beat the snot out of his arch-nemesis Mick Foley. All in all, a little night out on the town was well deserved for the guys.

Initially, Dave didn't want to go partying with Ric and Randy. He didn't feel like being social. He had a lot on his mind, and the last thing he wanted to do was celebrate with a group of people. But the Nature Boy managed to wheedled him in joining the fun.

"Here you go, sir." The bartender popped open the cap and handed over the bottle.

"Thanks, man," Dave replied. He grabbed the bottle and took a long swig, devouring that icy-cold refreshing taste. He slammed the bottle down on the table. _That hit the spot, _he thought before heaving out a huge burp.

Dave's road back to the WWE wasn't an easy ride. Some of the boys in the locker room weren't very welcoming on his return from suspension. In fact, they taunted the Animal to the point where they physically kicked him out. At one point, security had to break up a huge brawl backstage between Dave and some of the guys like Bubba Ray Dudley. Dave knew that his past actions had cost him plenty, but he was trying really hard to change his countenance around. He despised when someone got in his face and reminded him on how much of a loser he was because of his past transgressions.

Things took a turn in December when he won the World Tag Team Championship at Armageddon with Ric. It was the only current shining light in his life. He has idolized the Nature Boy ever since he was a kid, and capturing the title was a dream come true. Though things were looking up on a professional level for Dave, it was a different story personally. After violating the restraining order, Dave lost full custody and visitation rights of his daughters. Communication attempts to his wife's family were not successful. Losing his daughters was like another death in the family. Dave's worst nightmare had come true, and he knew that he was the only person to blame. He could still remember the look on Carrie's face when she was snatched from her father's arms. The horror in his baby's dark brown eyes placed a dagger to his heart. Because of his actions, Carrie and Athena had suffered the consequences. Just like him, the girls would grow up without a father. Thinking about that made the Animal tear up inside. Dave wished he could do something to reverse the court's decision, but his attorney advised him to let it go.

A slap of the hand on his massive shoulder broke Dave's train of thought. He grinned when he saw Ric pull up a stool beside him and sat down.

"What's happening, buddy? Having a good time?" Flair asked, flashing his signature smirk. In a way, Ric Flair was an eccentric character who always matched his "Stylin' & Profilin'" persona both in and out of the ring. Dave respected the "Nature Boy" greatly. In addition to being his idol, Flair was a father figure for Dave. He was one of the few people that welcomed Dave back with open arms after his suspension.

Dave chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like you are."

"Oh you know me. When you're surrounded by beautiful women, you always have a good time! WOOO!" Flair exclaimed as he pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a couple wads of hundred dollars and slammed it on the table. "Bartender, I'll have what he's having." He pointed to Dave's beer. "In fact, I'm buying him a drink. You can keep the change, honey!" The female bartender looked at the wads of hundred dollar bills in befuddlement before walking away.

Dave creased in his brows in confusion. "Naitch, what are you doing?"

"I'm buying you a drink," Flair answered back.

"No thanks, man! I'm good," Dave was no mood to get drunk.

"Well, then I'm buying everyone at the bar a drink," Flair waved his arms around. "It's gonna be a good night, and I'm feeling lucky tonight, baby! WOOO!"

That signature trademark shout aroused the patrons as it echoed throughout the nightclub seconds later. As the bartender returned and handed Flair a cold bottle of beer, he noticed the young widower was in a funk.

Flair poked Dave on the shoulders. "What's the matter, buddy? You've been sulking all day. You're sucking the fun out of this great night."

"Sorry, Ric, but I got a lot on my mind," Dave replied.

"You miss your girls, don't you?" Flair asked, but he already knew the answer.

Dave nodded in assurance. He took another swig at his beer. He set the bottle down. "I miss the hell out of them, Ric."

"It's only been a month, Dave."

"Yeah, but it feels like forever."

"I know how you're feeling, man. But that's the nature of this business," Flair remarked. "I have been in this business long enough to know that it's hard being a full-time father and a full-time wrestler. Something's gotta give. I've missed a lot of things out of my children's lives that I regret. Birthdays, their first steps, first day of school. It's hard, man"

Dave turned to face his friend, placing his left hand on his lap. "Yeah, but you never lost custody of your kids. At least you saw your kids when you came home," the young widower explained. "I come home to an empty house. My wife is dead, Ric. You know how hard it is to say that? And because of my stupid pride, I now lost my kids." Dave paused for a moment. He pressed two of his fingers to his lips, hoping to choke back the tears. He could feel his insides ready to burst with emotion. "I told Carrie I was going to … protect her and Athena. I failed them, Ric." His husky voice suddenly cracked, letting his emotion take its toll. _"I … failed … them."_

Flair didn't say anything at first. He didn't know what to say. It pained him to his friend hurt so badly. Sure, his actions had brought him to this point, but there comes a time in life, Flair thought, where you have to forgive and forget. He placed his hand on the young widower's shoulder, hoping that it would give him some comfort. "Dave, listen to me. You didn't fail them. You're just experiencing a major hurdle right now. That's how life is. It's all about ups and downs, and sometimes…" Flair tried to pick his words gently. "… there are certain consequences to our actions. I've always told you that to be the man, you have to beat the man. In life, to be the man, you have to never give up."

"I'm trying so hard not to give up. I've called my lawyer. He said his hands are tied, and it's up to my wife's family. I can't even utter a single word to my in-laws without getting hung-up," Dave explained. He suddenly felt a hand slap on his back. He glanced over.

"Hey guys, what's happening?" Randy pulled up a stool to the right of Dave. "Sorry to interrupt, gentleman. Thought I'd come over and see what you guys are up to. Guys talking about me or something?" The 24-year-old rookie had a lot of fine qualities and wittiness was one of them.

"No, we're talking about Dave's situation, here," Flair answered.

"Buddy, I know something that will make your blues go away," Randy pointed out to the dance floor. "I just mingled with a couple of girls out there. Man, they can move. They were smokin'." He whistled in satisfaction. "You should go out there."

Dave glared at the youngest Evolution member. "I'm not ready to mingle yet. Plus, I got bigger problems."

Randy pursed his lips. He was completely aware of Dave's family drama, especially since he was present when the whole debacle ensued. Since that day, Randy never forgot about the young, brown-eyed girl he met at the reception. She seemed sweet and innocent, yet mysterious. She was nothing like the girls he met on the road. He felt bad what happened to her and wished he could have done something to prevent her from tumbling on that table.

"How's your sister-in-law doing?" Randy inquired. "What's her name again?"

"Regina," Dave replied, spinning his beer bottle around. "I haven't talked to her. I know that she's out of the hospital." This was true. Dave had no clue on Regina's health condition. He always wondered how she was recuperating. He always thought about calling her. "Even if I did talk to her, she wouldn't want anything to do with me. I'm the last person she would want to speak to."

"Maybe not, but have you at least tried?" Flair asked.

"Ric, it's not that easy. I power-bombed a helpless girl through a table. She's probably been busy getting her life back together," Dave alleged, hoping that it wasn't far from the truth.

"Stop making excuses, man," Flair commanded.

"She won't listen to me," Dave tried to reason with the guys. "Plus, I don't know what to say to her."

"You can start by apologizing to her. I mean, it's like you said, you power-bombed her through a table. She didn't deserve that," Randy advised. "I hate to break it to you, Dave, but you're not the only one who has lost Angie. What were you thinking when you attacked her like that?"

Dave shook his head and sighed. With his elbows on the table, he clasped his hands together and dipped his head. For the past year, Dave had been asking himself the same question. His mind worked like a movie reel as it rewound back to that fateful day. He could picture the horror in his sister-in-law's face when he slapped her, then later grabbed her, stuck her head between his legs and then dropped her like a piece of garbage. He knew he was way out of line. _Regina's not a piece of garbage,_ he thought to himself. _She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time._

"I was drunk, and I needed someone to blame," Dave spoke softly. "She was right there." He lifted his head up and glanced at Flair. "I don't think she'll even accept my apology."

Ric slammed his bottle down and slapped the Animal's shoulders hard, even he was taken by surprise. "Would you listen to yourself? Have you listened to a goddamn thing I've been telling you tonight? Quit making excuses!" Flair's interrogation turned into a cutting-edge promo. It's almost been a year since Angie's death, and all you've done is mope around like a lost puppy. This isn't like you, man. You're the Animal. You confront things head-on. How long can this go on?" The noisiness of the bar suddenly turned quiet as everyone turned to the source of the loud sound. "Um, Ric?" Randy referenced the crowd.

When Flair noticed everyone looking at him, he raised his hands up. "It's OK, guys. We're all good." He then turned to Dave. His countenance was firm, but subtle. "I know it'll take time to mend fences with your wife's family. It'll take time before you and Regina are squared again. I met Regina at the funeral, and she seems like a lovely girl. But if you want your babies back, you've got to make the first move. Do it for them." Ric then looked up at the ceiling. "Do it for Angie."

Dave knew that Ric had a good point. Something had to give. He needed to step up and become a man. It was what Angie would have wanted him to do. If he wanted his kids back, there was only one person out there who could make it happen. He needed to settle the score with Regina his way, without any lawyers or extended in-laws. It was time to make the first step toward reconciliation.

"You're absolutely right, Ric. I do need to step up. Starting tomorrow!" the Animal confidentially roared. He felt more at ease now that he had divulged his feelings to his Evolution buddies. "Just promise me one thing, that you'll always have my back."

Ric smiled slyly and raised his bottle. "I'll drink to that, buddy. Remember, Evolution will always have your back."

"… And your front!" Randy chuckled as he raised his bottle in the air. To this, the three men clinked their beers together and took a big swig. The trio slammed their bottles down and unleashed a loud burp in unison, which sparked a huge laughter from them.

Suddenly, their laughter was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. "Whose phone is it?" asked Randy, checking his pockets.

Dave pulled out his cell phone and saw the number flashing. "It's me. I gotta take this call." With his bottle in hand and his cell phone pressed up against his ear, the Animal headed out of the bar for some privacy.

Meanwhile inside the bar, Ric and Randy scoured the scene again to hunt for gorgeous women. The young rookie nudged the Nature Boy for attention. "Hey Ric, I gotta question for you."

"Yeah?" Ric took another swig at his beer.

"Do you think Regina will forgive Dave?"

Ric finished sipping the last drop of his beer and set the bottle down. "I don't know, Randy. All I know is that Dave better be prepared for what's coming to him."


	14. Chapter 14: Golden Ticket

**A/N: A NEW CHAPTER! I am so excited to post this chapter. Fortunately, this chapter didn't give me a lot of stress to write! I hope to have the next one posted as soon as possible. *Crossing fingers* Thank you so much to** DarkAngelElektra, Esha Napoleon, RKOsgirl92, wades wife, **and **chloevamp **for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are amazing! LOVE YOU ALL! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Golden Ticket

The atmosphere of the gym was an empty nest when Dave arrived the next day. It was approximately mid-morning, and there were only a few cardio machines being occupied.

He scoured his eyes around the place. The gym looked the same as it ever was. For Dave, it felt absolutely good to be home. The gym was his second shelter. Whenever he was in Philly, he always trained at this gym. He knew the staff very well from his bodybuilding days. He had recognized and exchanged pleasantries with some familiar faces, but overall Dave kept to himself whenever he was lifting weights or doing cardio.

Today, though, he had a different agenda. The young widower wasn't dressed to exercise. He was on a fact-finding mission, and there was one person in the gym that could help him get in touch with Regina. Today embarked the initial step of his ongoing plan to regain full custody of his daughters.

Dave approached the front counter where a young, tattoo-sleeved redhead sat on the opposite side. She was flipping pages in a fitness magazine when Dave knocked his bare knuckles three times on the black surface. "Excuse me," Dave politely interrupted the woman's attention. Startled, the redhead jumped. Her eye widened and froze for a moment as she saw the massive form in front of her.

"Can I help you?" she asked, tossing her magazine aside.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Evelyn," Dave leaned against the counter. "Is she around?"

"Do you have an appointment with her?" the redhead asked as she stared at his muscles.

Dave shook his head. "No, but I'm a friend of hers. If she's busy, I can come back later." The young widower showed off his grin, which charmed the redhead as she smiled back and held up her left hand. "It's OK, um, let me check if she's busy. I'll let her know that you're here." She had just taken a few steps away from the counter when she stopped and turned around to face the Animal. "I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

"Dave."

The redhead smiled again and then proceeded to retrieve Evelyn. A couple of minutes later, Dave saw a beautiful, blonde-haired woman with muscles coming towards him. He stood up and extended his arms out, ready to engage in a friendly embrace.

But she was having none of it.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Evelyn asked brusquely. Her face looked pissed. It was obvious Dave wasn't by her open arms. In fact, she folded her arms as she stood in front of him.

"What? No love for an old friend?" Dave smiled, flashing his pearly-white teeth. His history with Evelyn went way back to when they trained together for various bodybuilding contests. Ultimately, they went their separate paths. He turned his attention to professional wrestling, and she became a physical trainer/therapist.

Trapped in his personal and legal problems, Dave had neither seen nor heard from Evelyn since Angie's funeral. Dave had called her numerous times, but she never responded. It wasn't until that night at the bar that she finally returned his calls.

"You said you'd be willing to talk to me," Dave mimicked his friend's posture, folding his arms.

But Evelyn wasn't amused. "Yeah, but I told you not to come here. I told you I'd let you know," she hissed, referencing their last phone conversation. She inched herself closer to the front counter, resting her right arm on the top surface.

Dave released a deep shuddering sigh, his cheerful tone was beginning to subside. "OK, when?"

"When I'm good and ready. Right now, I have nothing more to say to you. Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to work." With that, Evelyn turned her back toward Dave, but just after advancing a few steps, she felt a heavy hand tugging her shoulder, causing her to turn around awkwardly, almost losing her balance in the process. In the pit of his wounded soul, Dave grew annoyed. He was tired of being letdown and shutdown by almost everyone. Nobody was going to get away from him this time, not even his friend.

"Look, I get that you're mad at me and hate my guts. That's fine," The young widower's serious low-cut tone grew thick with emotion, gluing his attention to her greenish-hazel eyes. "But don't turn your back on an old friend. Please, I need to talk to you!" He looked over Evelyn's shoulder. "Is there someplace we can talk in private?"

Evelyn pinched her lips together briefly. Witnessing Regina's turmoil, of course made her angry at Dave, but a true friend would need to be objective - hear both sides of an argument. The blonde trainer studied the Animal's countenance for a moment. Something in his face caught her off-guard. For the first time ever, Evelyn saw a vulnerable looking man, a sharp contrast of the appearance she last saw on him about a year ago.

What did he want from her? She hoped it wasn't she was thinking. She hoped he wasn't going to push her into spilling the beans on Regina's whereabouts. Evelyn had promised to protect her privacy. What would happen if Dave knew exactly where Regina was? Being caught in the middle of a war between brother-in-law and sister-in-law suddenly made her feel antsy.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Dave needed a shoulder to lean on. _Am I doing the right thing?, _she was only one way to find out.

Evelyn glanced down at her watch. She motioned her hand at him as she started to walk ahead.

"Come with me."

Evelyn turned on the light switch in the gym's small storage closet. After Dave entered the room, she shut the door and locked it so that no one could barge in on them in their conversation. The young widower sat in a folding chair against the wall, while Evelyn stayed close to the door and remained standing.

The silence in the room was palpable. Nobody said a word for the first couple of minutes. Evelyn wasn't sure if she was supposed to speak first. Dave kept his head down and stared at his hands, which were clasped together and resting on his stomach. Evelyn began to open her mouth to say something, when all of sudden she heard, "I really screwed things up." Dave beat her to the punch. He leaned forward in his chair and looked up at her as if he were waiting for a response.

Evelyn wasted no time. "I'll say." Her tone exerted no comfort, but reassurance.

"Eve, I'm trying really hard to make things better. I know I screwed things up with my family, my friends, and my job. And I've apologized time and time again to everyone, and I keep getting shut down!" Suddenly, Dave's voice grew frustratingly abrasive. "I'm tired of being treated like a piece of garbage."

Evelyn shook her head. "You know what keeps running through my mind from that day?" she asked, leaning against the wall. "I'm still trying to figure out who was that _man_ who treated a poor, young woman like a piece of garbage? That couldn't have been my friend Dave. _Oh no!_ Because my friend Dave wouldn't hurt a woman, let alone drag her ass out of a reception hall against her will! I mean, what kind of asshole would have the audacity to get plastered at the funeral of his wife, who, by the way, was killed in the first place by a _drunk driver._"

She closed the distance between them and leaned down so that they met eye-to-eye." That was _you_!" She poked him in the chest. "What kind of message were you trying to say, huh? I hate to break it to you, honey. After that stunt you pulled in front of everyone, now at each anniversary of Angie's death, her family's constantly going to be reminded of you breaking Regina's neck. What do you have to say about that?"

Evelyn lifted herself up and walked back to the opposite side of the room. "You can apologize all you want, Dave, but actions speak louder than words."

Evelyn was right, Dave thought. He knew he had done enough damage, and apologies were getting him nowhere. He wished he could beat the crap out of that guy who messed everything up. If he wanted to make things right, he needed to act on it, however, he needed assistance in getting the job done.

"You know, besides Angie's death, losing custody of my girls was the biggest blow I ever took," Dave glanced up at Evelyn. He felt a surge of emotion creeping up in his throat. It always happened whenever he talked about Carrie and Athena. Tears streamed down the sharp features of his face. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking that day. I just wanted the pain to go away. I keep reeling the scene over and over again in my head. I wish I could take it back, Eve." His sobs overtook his tone. "I wish ... I wish I could take everything back. Regina. My girls. They don't deserve this. Angie didn't deserve this." Dave buried his face in his hands and wept. _"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry..."_

Speechless, Evelyn watched her longtime friend gushed his heart out over the ladies of his life. Deep down she felt sorry for the guy. It seemed that he had finally come to his senses on the depth of his action. His life had crumpled down before his eyes, and just like the childhood tale of "Humpty Dumpty", he was trying to build the pieces back up again after a cracked fall.

The trainer grabbed two sheets of Kleenex from the shelf and handed them to Dave. Dave took the Kleenex sheets and wiped the tears. Then, Evelyn pulled up a chair and sat directly across from him, but close enough to place her hands on his shoulder blades.

"Buddy, I've got to tell you the truth. When it comes to death, you don't get over it; you just get on with it. I don't how, but I know that's what Angie would have wanted you to do," she lectured. "Look, I know you're trying hard to repair the damages and mend fences. You're doing all of this while mourning for Angie. I'm sorry that people aren't giving you the time of day. I'm sorry that I'm one of them. But I have to be honest with you, it's going to take a long time before things are back to normal between you and your in-laws, especially with Regina."

"I've heard that before, but I'm willing to take that chance," Dave confessed, his eyes were splotchy by his sobs. "I have nothing to lose at this point. That's why I desperately need your help." He paused for a minute. "I need to talk to Regina."

Evelyn opened her eyes wide, shaking her head. "I don't think I can."

"Please! You're my only hope. I don't know who else to ask except for my in-laws, and they would rather see my hand on the chopping block before they could help me!" Dave pleaded. It was true, he was running out of options. He had called Regina's friends for information, but all were vaguely helpful. "I know injuries like hers involve physical therapy. Maybe you could call around and find the person that's been helping her recovery process. Find out where she is ... or if she would be willing to talk."

Unbeknownst to Dave, the truth was smack dab in front of him. Realizing that she was in tough spot, Evelyn had to make a decision ... and fast! Was she going to tell him the truth? Was she going to lie? How far would she go to protect Regina from her brother-in-law? Anxiety had kicked in full force, and her hands were shaking. She hoped Dave wouldn't notice.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Dave. At least, not right now," Evelyn advised, trying very hard not to burst. She wasn't lying as much as she was buying more time. "It's best if you give Regina some space. She needs to mourn too, you know!"

Dave was an overbearing physical specimen, but he was no dummy. He sensed his friend's countenance strikingly odd as she obliterated his favor. She never did that to him before. Her facial expression looked worrisome and scared as he stood over her. Her eyelids were constantly blinking without making any straightforward eye contact.

Something was off.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Dave quizzically asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "No, of course not," This time she was lying. "I mean, what makes you think that Regina would want to talk to you? She hates you, Dave. You humiliated her! She even told me herself." After uttering those last words, Evelyn knew she had made a big mistake. _"Shit!" _the trainer whispered under her breath, lowering her face.

But it was too late. The brimming bubble had finally burst, and Dave was going to take full advantage of it. He opened his eyes wide as if he won the jackpot. _Bingo! Now we're getting somewhere, _he thought. "So you have talked to her," he inquired. "When?"

"I don't know. I don't remember," Evelyn lied again, but deep down she knew it didn't help the cause. "Look, I've got to get back to work." She got up from her seat and was heading for the door when her arm was yanked back by the Animal. The force caused her to stumble into his chest. She regained her balance and suddenly realized he was staring down at her. Her heart was racing faster than a speeding bullet.

"We're not leaving here until you tell me the whole truth! Don't lie to me!" he retorted angrily. "You know something that I don't know. We've been friends for too long to let any secrets get in the way. I don't want to lose our friendship over this." Dave took Evelyn by the wrist and gently eased her down on the chair. He hovered his gargantuan body over her so that she wouldn't escape.

For the first time ever, Evelyn felt trapped. She knew she was beginning to fail in her quest to protect Regina. She realized that the only way to escape the confrontation was to flush out the details. "OK, OK, fine," she exalted a deep, shuddering sigh, scratching her forehead. "Sit down, I'll tell you everything."

Dave's countenance seemed to quell the tension a bit as he smiled. He sat down and listened attentively, absorbing every word that came out of Evelyn's mouth. His longtime friend explained everything from the extent of Regina's injuries to her involvement in the young woman's physical therapy to the progress of her health.

"Physically, Regina's doing very well. She's making great strides," Evelyn explained. "Emotionally ... _well_ ... that's another story."

"What do you mean?" the widower creased his brows in confusion. Knowing Regina, he figured she could bounce back to normal in no time, as apparently is the case with her physical health.

It made perfect sense to Evelyn. Clearly, Dave was clueless about Regina's emotional drama. "Dave ... there's no other way to say it." Evelyn paused, taking a deep breath. "Regina is depressed. I mean _really _depressed. She's so lost, Dave, like you wouldn't believe."

Dave clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as the guilt clouded his conscience. _"Oh, man."_

"That's not all. Her family's been putting her under a lot of pressure. She said she's been forced to get better and the put the past behind her so that your kids wouldn't see any difference," Evelyn continued to explain. "How is she supposed to do that if she hasn't yet completely mourned for Angie? I don't know, Dave, but I'm scared for her."

"Why?"

"Because people who are in deep depression can do harmful things to themselves. Like taking drugs or cutting themselves or even worse," Evelyn conjectured in a whisper. "Maybe suicide."

Dave shook his head in disagreement. He bolted from his seat, pacing around the perimeter of the closet space. He felt sick to his stomach. Regina possibly committing suicide was a far-fetched cry for help. It wasn't like her character. "No, no! Regina wouldn't kill herself!" Dave rejected the logic. "She's not that stupid."

"I didn't say she was stupid. I said she was lost," Evelyn, still seated, rationalized. "The pain that you're been feeling is nothing like the pain she's enduring right now. You didn't see the look on her face when I told her to vent her frustration."

Dave watched as Evelyn treaded over to the opposite side and pulled out a bag nestled in the corner behind some poster boards and cardboard boxes. It wasn't some ordinary bag. It was the identical body bag that Regina had pounded down profusely days ago.

"Here's the evidence," Evelyn dropped the remnants in front of Dave's feet. The bag was completely destroyed, thanks to the scrapes, dents, rips and tears, and its face was totally annihilated from the pole. "This thing is made of very strong material." Evelyn shook her head in bewilderment. "One minute I told her to pretend that this bag was you, and the next minute she went ape-shit nuts."

Dave continued to stare at the damaged object in front of him. He couldn't believe that Regina would have the strength to destroy something durable. He wished Evelyn was joking. Given her slender body weight, Regina was simply not that strong. But now that he has seen the evidence, who knows what Regina was capable of.

Thinking of all the inconceivable possibilities, Dave became increasingly concerned for his sister-in-law's emotional state. He needed to find Regina as soon as possible. Ironically, the man who destroyed her almost one year ago now became acutely aware that _he _was the one who needed to save her before it was too late.

_I need to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life_, he thought, _whatever that might be._ Dave didn't know exactly what he would say once they met face-to-face. He would figure it out later. First things first, Dave would admit his faults.

"Evelyn, I want you to call the house. Talk to her. Try to get her down here," Dave instructed his friend. "I want-"

"Dave-" Evelyn interrupted him, speaking over his low, raspy tone. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Dave's facial features morphed into annoyance once again, clenching his teeth in the process.

Evelyn used all her strength not to flinch, holding her composure steadily. She already said enough about Regina. _Why push it, _she thought. "Trust me. It's best that we leave her alone," she hastily reassured, but she knew Dave wasn't buying it.

"No. You call her now." Frustrated with his friend's ignorance on a potential catastrophe, Dave rapidly paced back and forth in the closet. He stopped and pulled out his cell phone from his jean pocket, extending the small device to Evelyn. "Call her!"

"I can't do that!" Evelyn protested.

"WHY NOT?" Dave bellowed, pushing himself in Evelyn's face. Blood was boiling in his veins as his face was getting more crimson with anger by the minute.

Evelyn felt her pulse racing, her hands getting clammy. Even though she understood Dave's point in rescuing Regina from her emotional rut, Evelyn knew she was obligated to protect her privacy, but she was beginning to wonder if she was doing the right thing. The tension was insurmountable, and she was reaching her breaking point. "Because she's not at home!" Evelyn blurted out.

"Where is she?"

"She's out of town. Trust me, Dave, it's the best thing for her. She needs to get away from all this drama," Evelyn calmly voiced her reason. "I'm speaking to you as a friend. The last person she wants to see right now is you! She doesn't need to be any more hurt than what she is right now."

For a moment, Dave's expression didn't change. He was still too caught up in his inexorable fury when he suddenly slammed a chair against the wall. Evelyn jumped. As the sound of the chair's wheels screeched the floor, revelation began to sink in. His countenance slowly changed from anger to trepidation. As he buried his head in his hands, Dave realized that he was becoming THAT man again from a year ago. He was turning worse than his onscreen character. It was like a demon clutched in the bowels of his cells. He was morphing into the man he despised and hoped would never return – that monstrous bastard who was too caught up in his own emotional spin that he didn't bother to think about other people's feelings.

Dave began to understand his friend's stance, but it still didn't quell the concern he had for Regina's well-being.

"Look, I know you're trying to protect her. You have my word, I'm not going to hurt her. I promise. I just want to see her," the widower remarked in a calm, raspy manner. His face was flushed with emotion. "I just want to talk to her. That's all. If she doesn't want to talk to me, then I'll give her some space." He raised his hands up and pinched his lips together before making his final plea. "But I need to hear it from her. Please, Eve, tell me. Where is Regina?"

Evelyn's features had now sagged as though she had been defeated. After taking a deep breath, she told him her exact location.

Dave nodded, a light grin immersing from his lips. "Thank you." He hurried over to the door and was about to turn the knob when Evelyn placed her hand over his, blocking his exit.

"I am warning you. If I find out that you hurt Regina again in any way, shape, or form, I will make your life a living hell. I don't give rat's ass that you're my friend. You got it?"

Dave's facial expression became unreadable, but he softly replied, "Got it." With that, he turned the knob and bolted out the door.

As the door clicked shut, Evelyn slumped back down on the chair and to make light on what just happened. Because of her, Dave would be on his way to find Regina.

In the back off her mind, Evelyn wondered if she made the right decision, and more importantly that one day Regina would forgive her.

Back in the gym parking lot, Dave was too caught up in his exuberance and satisfaction that he almost didn't hear his cell phone ringing in his pocket of his black leather jacket as he got into his car. He pulled it out and peered at the number on the screen. It was Ric Flair.

Still smiling, Dave flipped open the phone and held it to his ear. "Naitch!" he shouted, turning the ignition of the car.

"Hey, buddy! Did I call you at a bad time?" asked Ric. The small speaker on the phone made the Nature Boy's voice sound tiny.

"Nope, you actually caught me at a great time!" Dave answered. "I know where Regina is."

"Wait, what? How'd you find that out?" Ric's voice shrieked.

Dave glanced back at the gym entrance and chuckled, "I met up with a friend whose been helping her out. Look, I'm on my way to see her. I'll tell you everything when I get back."

"Wait, Dave! Wait! Maybe it's best that you don't see Regina by yourself," The Nature Boy advised. "I don't want you to get ahead of yourself. I mean, if she sees you. She might run away again."

Dave closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Ric was right. If he bolted down the Shore on a whim alone, chances are things wouldn't go too smoothly. There would be increased amount of provocation, even though Dave wouldn't be looking to harm Regina in any way. He wouldn't know why he would anymore. All he wanted was some answers. He needed to know how she was faring. He needed to inquire about his children. Most of all, he needed Regina's help.

Just like almost one year ago, Regina was becoming Dave's golden ticket again.

To achieve it, Dave needed to enact the second part of his plan carefully and methodically. This time, he would enlist some back-up. The corners of the Animal's mouth curved in a smile as he thought of the perfect candidates to do the job.

"Ric, you're absolutely right. I can't do this alone," Dave replied. A splash of resoluteness sprang on his face. "Do me a favor, will you? Get Randy and Hunter in the room. Because when I come back to the hotel, I want to speak to all three of you."


End file.
